Skinning the Beast
by Kaimaler
Summary: She lives on the streets by choice, desperately wanting to stay invisible. Forcibly dragged into a white room with a door barred shut, she struggles to not fight back. Her captors trying to force her to use her strengths to test, to aggrandize the thing she worked so hard to hide. Fighting back meant giving them what they wanted. To spite them, she refused. Eddie/VenomxOC
1. Grit on the Streets

**Skinning the Beast**

* * *

 _Just a little thing I'm working on while I'm sick.  
_ _Venom is absolutely my new favorite focus, I'm loving seeing the villain get some love. The comics were so much fun, I will play around with character names and identities from the comics but this fic is about the Venom 2018 movie. 'Cause I do so adore it. :)_

* * *

Howling winds, busy city streets, and heavy rain flooding poorly drained paths. People who were out on this dark rainy night did not mind the cold, carrying their umbrellas though their heavy coats already protected them.

In a shadowy corner sat a woman wrapped in blankets, old jackets and thrown away coats. Her gloves worn through and her clothes tattered. Yet her shoes were rather clean, modern, and she kept them hidden under the blankets. A thermos of hot water warmed her cold bones, the heat radiating through her chest comfortably. Long wiry black hair flowed similar to a furry mane around her neck, unkempt and dirty yet functionally warm.

She kept to herself, her oddly bright eyes watching the passing crowd just outside her alley with a combination of suspicion and confusing interesting. Her eyes pierced the darkness of her chosen alley, perhaps the only worth while thing she owned. Her head turned to her handmade hut, an amalgamate of trash, debris, and ruined materials. Her gaze rested lovingly on the hideaway hidden behind long forgotten crates and trash she had cleaned out. Everything was out of sight, she could hide in the dark of alley without worry about anyone stumbling upon her.

The rain caused many people to retreat into their homes or nearby shelter, but she looked up to the skies allowing the rain to soak into her skin and hair. She would likely get a cold at some point, her red nose and cheeks indicated that was already beginning to happen. After having fended off a fever that made her sweat and burn she was rather glad to be cold.

Pneumonia would be on the worse side of things for most people, the potential of it enough to scare most people out of the chilly weather. She seemed unconcerned however, choosing to remain outside her hut.

Rain was the best weather for begging on the side of the streets. The cold air, icy rain drops, and soaked beggar tended to twang heartstrings and people would empathize, not just pity her.

Standing from her position wrapped in blankets she tugged along one of her larger blankets long since missing its duvet, stained with mud, grit, and other mysterious substances. A perfect cry for help if ever there was one. She made her way to the store fronts, the busiest area she could find. Residing within the poorer districts provided benefits and risks.

A greater risk of being attacked on the streets, though mugging a homeless person was the dumbest choice any mugger could make and almost never happened. Mindless violence against the homeless often went unpunished, though it was more commonplace. The areas of the city populated by the poor or otherwise unfortunate benefit her as they were more likely to empathize and offer change.

Change was better than nothing. Not to mention wealthier areas of the city the people tended to hold onto their cash, not looking at the less fortunate with sympathy instead recoiling from them. That and the stores would kick any homeless away from their doorsteps, meaning the only place to set up was an alleyway where no one wanted to be or uninhabited store fronts where, again, no one was going.

Here, on the roundabout corner surrounded by outdated brick buildings and store signs that had been recycled and refurbished far more than once, she found her place. Keeping her clean shoes under her blanket, she sat on the corner, placed a colander down in front of her and she waited, hoping for anyone to take notice.

A few people seemed to like her enough to drop a dollar in and some change, not enough for a coffee at Starbucks but enough for something off the dollar menu at McDonalds.

Seeing that fast food was still her meal of choice she pulled out a strip of paper, torn from a larger page of notepaper so crumpled it was thin and delicate. Her head shielded it from the rain, on it an address. 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center. She frowned, her brow furrowing in discontent. She would love a hot meal, but disliked everything that came with it. A deep sigh and she slipped the paper back into her pocket.

A hot meal and a world of trouble or a room temperature meal and no trouble. Raising a hand to her right cheek she touched over the raised scar on her face, the scar running from her right eye to bottom of her jaw and another smaller scar from her right nostril slightly upwards. _No trouble._ Her hand dropped back to the slowly cooling thermos. _No trouble every time._ Scars earned from a complicated history with 1407 Graymalkin Lane.

She rubbed the cuff of her reclaimed jacket across her nose, feeling her nose cold and wet. Sipping the hot water she thanked a few more people that dropped more change in. A few nickles, pennies, and dimes. Quarters were appreciated, though most of the people in this area only had nickles to spare. It did mean she had enough for a cheeseburger meal instead of just a dollar burger. Which was less sad than a dollar burger on its own.

Being cold, wet, hungry, and entirely free was better than warm, comfortable, full, and constantly in danger.

Though she knew many people would disagree, saying that it was better than struggling on the streets; she knew otherwise. The stress that ate away her days, the crushing feeling that at any moment someone would try to kill you and everyone you know simply because they didn't like the person you were affiliated with - months at 1407 Graymalkin under the pressure of protecting others, protecting herself, and nearly being killed more than once...

She stood up one day and walked out the door. No goodbyes, no heartfelt assurances that she would be fine on her own. Just left with the clothes on her back, some money in her pocket, and a backpack of necessities. That was it for her and she knew someone watched her leave, a few people she knew, others she could not tell. Sometimes enough was enough.

The simple life was not meant for the people there and the life of a warrior for the people was not meant for her. Guarded like a soldier on the battlefield in their own home; she could not do it. Though she tried, fought with herself for so long, she eventually came to a realization she was not like them. She needed to find her own path.

That path, the good and the bad, lead her here. She sat on the stone ledge that held up a grassy area with a large tree in the center, she listened to the rustle of leaves and branches.

She would rather be here.

"Hey." A voice broke her day dreaming. She looked to the familiar face of a man, his shoulders hunched and a beanie failing to protect his head from the rain. He came this way occasionally, usually when he was on the hunt for something or someone.

With a sniffle, she returned his greeting. "Hey yourself."

He leaned down and dropped a few bills in the colander. "How ya' been?" He shivered somewhat, his jumpy nature coming through. While he did not come this way often, he always gave something, and rarely stopped to chat. He did this when he wanted something. Curious and playfully cautious, she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Y'know me, I love to take my showers in public." She winked at him, earning a chuckle audibly strangled through chattering teeth. Tilting her head to see his face partially hidden behind the upturned lapels of his jacket. "You're not here to talk about the weather, what are you here for?"

He nodded, his eyes flicking all around the place before meeting hers. "Looking for some information on someone in the area. Goes by the name Lee Price. Here," He appeared to struggle in his pocket before shoving a picture to her. It was an image taken from across a street, possibly in a car while spying on this person. The face was clear enough, maybe, but she just shook her head.

"Has this person been in the area...? Should I be careful?" Her concerns were noted though he was frustrated not having any new leads.

Hinting at the risk behind it, he stuffed the picture back in his pocket and wavered his hand slightly. "From what I've picked up the gang doesn't mess with you if you don't mess with them. They hit high value targets, been causing problems for some questionable people. Seems like they got some specifics in mind. If you notice him around, just hit up the payphone, eh?" He pulled out four quarters, reaching out to hand them to her directly. "Give me a call."

He patted his jacket pockets, finding his pen but unable to find his notepad. "Son of a bitch, where'd I- I left it in the car." He winced, "Got anything to write on that isn't, uh, soaked?"

She nodded, pulling out that scrap of notepaper and handed it to him. He took it, eyeing the address with mild interest. She watched him, no recognition on his face. He flipped it over and scribbled out a number before giving it back. He handed her the pen absent mindedly as if giving a pen back to a bank teller. When she tried to return it he just waved it off.

"Keep it and remember, you see him you give me a ring. If you hear anything, write it down." He gave her a sly smirk, "In case you need to use those quarters, I'll come back. Meet back here same time next week? If you find something or see him I got a reward for you." He asked, trying to work out some small spy network she was sure he did with the other invisible people in the area.

Wrapping herself in her jacket, she looked around. The promise of more money to satisfy her hunger and possibly some new clothes, a few trips to the laundromat sounded nice. "I don't have a clock and I don't know what day it is."

"There's a clock up on the Lenox building a block down and it's Tuesday. I'm sure if you stop at a convenience store they'll tell you." He twitched in place, the cold getting to him. Rain soaked his beanie, his clothes absorbed as much water as they could. "Here," He pulled out more quarters, "In case you lose track of time or need to move, there's extra for some more calls."

She took them happily, still deciding if she would use them for a phone call or for food. Still, she pocketed the change. "What's all this for, who is this Lee Price?"

His shoulders shook, "Just a guy, trying to figure it out myself. But he's made a few long calls to a burner phone I managed to find belonged to a particular person. From what I can tell he's got things going on under the table, deals I'm hoping to bring to light. He's always on the streets, but no one's seen him, got it?"

Nodding, she bundled up tighter under the blanket. "He know you're looking for him...?" She asked quietly with her brow raised.

"Undoubtedly." His answer as cocky as ever.

She scoffed, "Sounds like I don't want to be caught looking at him, talking about him, or talking to you." Her paranoia itched at the back of her mind, telling her to look around the area and see if anyone was watching. Instantly the mood changed.

Agreeing with her, he turned to leave. "Don't do anything risky. When I come back I promise we'll get a hot meal somewhere, alright?"

Her pockets jingling with change, the colander on the ground holding enough money to get a two small McDonalds meals now. She could spare the change for now, to uphold her end of the bargain. If she did happen upon something to share with him than she also could get a reward, that and a meal was promised upon his return regardless of any information. A deal worth her while since all she had to do was look for the man's face.

"Wait," She reached out for him before he left, "Can I keep that picture? I'm not too good remembering faces. It would help."

The request told him she was agreeing to go along with his plan. He had asked a good deal of people on the streets, people located at points in the area that would have a good view or at least see the most traffic where this man might pass by. She was in a good spot, moved around a bit, but hung out around in a spot that most everyone in the district had to pass through. During the day and night street performers took any open space to earn some change, but in the rain on a freezing cold night, there was only one person out on this street.

It was a good time for the person of interest to show up too. With less people on the streets came less risk of being spotted doing something he shouldn't.

With a pleasant grin, he pulled the picture out of his pocket. Reaching forward he pressed the picture into the palm of her hand, grasping her hand around it with a firm shake. A little surprised, she watched him and returned the polite shake. It was a _thank you_ without saying it.

She nodded and looked at the picture once more before folding it into her pocket with the rest of the change.

Without another word, he left the sidewalk and crossed the road, heading towards a car obscured to her by heavy rain, fog, and other cars passing by. He was quite pleased, the first person of the day to ask for the picture. She showed promise, even if she did not see the man he was looking for, she was providing this service to him. There was a deal being worked out there, just the beginning of it, but if she could be a trusted eye on the streets than he knew investing in her loyalty to him would pay off one day.

The homeless around the area usually were happy to pass on any information to help so long as he was willing to negotiate the cost of that information. There was no ill will there, no greediness; they were people trying to survive. Information was one of the best products they could sell since very few people ever have their eyes on the streets as much as they did. Even less willing to pass that information along.

She sat in the rain and he watched a moment after having slid into his car. The engine rumbling as it started, warm air slowly washing over him. He was freezing cold, shivering, and wet enough to soak the car seat. Pulling the beanie off his head, it slapped onto the passenger car seat with a wet _slop_. While he warmed up, she remained outside in the cold.

He could see her looking at him or at his car, he didn't know how well she could see through the downpour and splashing of passing cars. He couldn't see well, but he saw her enough.

Making a mental note to bring her a jacket from his closet, something to start this symbiotic relationship. It would build trust, reliance, and his journalism career could benefit having an extra pair of eyes. He was able to buy a few homeless folk for information, some street workers, some less fortunate. Many of them saw the picture and said the same thing.

 _"We don't talk about Price."_

She didn't tell him no, didn't refuse to look deeper. There was no information to share yet, but loyalty always paid off in the end. Assuming he could get that of her.

Switching his headlights on, his indicator to signal his intent; he made another note. _Get her name._


	2. One Call

**Skinning the Beast**

* * *

By the time daybreak came the rain had cleared out, but the grey clouds persisted. A gloomy day, overcast with the promise of even more rain. Not truly a problem for her, though it came with its own ups and downs at this point. The less people, the less money, the more dire she looked the more people wanted to give. She stretched on her bed made of blankets, cardboard, worn pillows, and half of a foam mattress.

Hanging over her was another blanket she used to use for comfort, but had ran its course replaced by more comfortable blankets. Held up by a combination of boxes, pipes, and discarded wires; it protected her from the rain when she slept. A black trash bag on the top side to keep all water from draining through, pouring it along outside the makeshift tent to keep her safely dry.

Bundled up in her old blankets, her eyes opened lazily. With the overcast weather she couldn't tell if she woke early or slept in. Not that it mattered much, without a job or anything required of her days she did not often need to be up at any hour.

A growl from her stomach told her the only real need she had required satisfaction. Picking herself up out of the rough bed, she slid out of the tent and stretched her legs. Taking a deep sigh, she counted some cash from the last few days. Not much, if she was careful it would last her for a little while. She felt quite hungry though, enough so that she felt like swallowing a steak whole. A day and a half without any food, her last meal a cheap saran wrapped PB&J from the convenience store down the street.

She looked forward to something more filling, even if it was only for a moment.

Dropping the warm wraps from her body, she tucked everything into her makeshift tent. She stuffed the cash and change into her jacket pocket and set off for the nearest fast food stop she could find. She needed something warm and if she had enough left over she planned for more lasting snacks to support her days.

Exiting her alley without her coverage was always this alien feeling. She stood and stared at the alley exit. It lead directly to a busy street always wrecked by condemned buildings, mold, and trash littering the paths. Not a pretty place, but it was her choice to reside there.

The streets were no kinder to her, the alley her only shelter, and the people beyond more unpredictable as the days passed. She had no idea who she would pass today, no idea what people would show up in her life. _My life._ She blinked, her eyes turning upward to feel the light drizzle begin. They used to tell her _you're the hero of your own story, so do what you believe a hero would do._ She looked down to her hands paling as they cooled down in the freezing weather. _Not entirely true._

She faced the street again. The dark alley walls framing the brighter, livelier path beyond. Hating the hesitance in her bones, the crushing weight she felt restricting her to the alley. Only ever leaving in hopes of earning money to eat, that was tolerable, she had a purpose. Leaving to engage with others, walking down the street like everyone else was not the same.

So many people looked on the homeless with pity enough to avoid them. The amount of people that simply avoided eye contact with her just because they sized her up as homeless was astounding when she first started a life on the streets. Now she didn't notice them anymore than they wanted to notice her. Walking down the street though, it was not entirely clear who she was or where she came from.

To people in a rush she seemed like one of the crowd, as expendable as the rest. She didn't like that, she didn't like being out in the open. There was risk, danger, threats she could not see beyond the dark brick walls that protected her. Food was necessary though and she would push through her fears to brave walking the streets of San Francisco's unfavorable neighborhood.

Straightening out the jacket meant for both a man and someone far larger than herself, she braved the city streets. Stepping into the light was harsh, people already passing around her without a glance. It was like a hive mind, every one moving all at once. A river bending around her as she made her way tentatively down the block. Her head low, eyes always scanning the crowd. She caught the face of everyone in her view, watching to see if someone was doing the same to her.

Paranoia no longer itched in the back of her head out here, it roared in her mind and made her temples throb in pain. Pressure built up so much she could feel her fists clenching inside her jacket pockets. Desperate to keep a straight face among the crowd she hurried her pace trying to get out of the grouping as quickly as she could.

She hit the door hard enough to swing it open wide, the jingling bell bringing her back to Earth. She looked around, not a single person looking back. Melding into the line without a word, she waited for her turn. The hum of the vents, the door ringing every time it's opened, the constant noise of the crowd. It felt like the environment was pressuring her to retreat to her hideaway.

Unrealistic paranoia made every movement in the corners of her vision suspicious. She survived by that suspicion, yet that did not make it any easier to handle. By the time she came up next she was too absorbed in her fears to realize it. Only the unfamiliar voice of the cashier managed to snap her out of this trance.

"What would you like, ma'am?" She was polite, a soft voice she rose to be heard over the other patrons. Waiting patiently, she had seen all types in the fast food chain. People with disabilities restricting how fast they could respond or something below the surface causing terrible anxiety. She looked young, a recent graduate at most.

"Just a cheeseburger meal, please." Her tone weak, as if trying to mask not just her identity but her voice as well. The girl dutifully took the order and the price rang up exactly as expected. Pulling the dollars and change from her pocket she handed it off to the cashier without counting. Her experience telling her how much she needed and she only brought enough for it.

Handing a single dime back, she moved out of line to wait. Other people talking, having a nice time together with their respective groups. A young group of five waiting on a sizable order, no older than late teens at most. They seemed to be having a delightful time talking and laughing. A duo standing off to the side chatting quietly to each other, the woman smiling sweetly at the man with her.

Nothing seemingly out of the ordinary, a rather average day with an average crowd. She knew it was no different than any other day, no different than the people that passed her each and every day on the streets. The only difference is she had nothing to shield her from prying eyes. Her clothes were reclaimed, the shirt under her red and green "R" letter jacket was originally hers though. Perhaps one of the only things she had that she bought herself.

Waiting with the crowd around her helped her blend in effectively, but also reduced her ability to spot anyone looking at her. A serious issue if anyone recognized her. All the way in San Francisco, the opposite side of the country from 1407 Graymalkin Lane, she doubted anyone here would know her. In New York wandering the streets was always a risk, there was always a threat looming around the next corner. For most people staying inside the walls was their safest option and if they insisted to leave, they had to do so with numbers. People who could defend themselves.

She remembered chaperoning a few outings, keeping the group together, staying with the crowds was safe. Pretty much the same rules parents tell their children when someone tries to grab them. Find the crowd, stay where people can see you, that way if something happened the response would be immediate and the assailants would be unable to pursue.

Most times nothing ever happened. A day watching over some teenage girls at the mall or keeping a watchful eye on a date at a nearby restaurant. It was peaceful watching over people so young, those who hadn't dealt with what happens when they wandered the streets alone in a city that always kept an eye on them. A city aware they were there.

Then there were the rare times where even being in a group did not ward away the most persistent. The people who came prepared. Strong or not, she always had to weigh the repercussions of fighting back. There was always a cost when a fight broke out regardless of who was in the right. Self defense meant nothing to them.

Here in San Francisco they weren't constantly on watch. She could wander around alone for a while, undisturbed. Rarely had she crossed the path of someone that was aware, but even less of them were able to identify her. Confrontation is what she was working to avoid and no matter how hard she tried, sometimes there was no way around it.

"Order 72." She glanced at her receipt. _72._ She took the paper bag and filled her cup with water before making her exit. All too happy to have escaped the confines of the building.

Returning to her alley was the best part of her day. Being able to curl away for a while before she had to go back out onto the streets. As she strutted through the streets, clearing block after block, she eventually ran into the old store fronts where a few other less fortunate were sitting. Some people using five gallons to drum, another with an old guitar being kept well tuned regardless of age.

She liked these people, always kind and some so talented she wondered how they were on the streets in the first place. Not everyone liked to share their story; she was a prime example. It was not them wanting to be secretive, just some things were better left unsaid.

The streets were so busy in the day, she had to push around people to make it even a few steps. Hearing the drums she knew she approached their corner. A familiar man playing the drums for some extra change. She stopped to listen, giving him a polite smile to greet him while he performed. He caught her approach and broke into a wide smile.

"Hey!" His bright demeanor was infectious. "Got some snacks while you watch?" He nodded his head to the food in her hands. She figured what was the harm in sticking around with someone she actually enjoyed the company of. She shrugged and stepped around his set up, cozying up to his own seat on another five gallon drum. She sat with her legs crossed as she unwrapped her now barely warm burger.

She relished that first bite, thankful to get some food in her stomach. Looking up to the man beating away at the gallons, she reached back into the bag and brought out the fries. Glancing between the fries and her friend, she raised the fries up to him.

His playing slowed down, glancing to her and grinning. Taking a short break would not hinder his night, especially when the intermission meant eating. "Are you sure?" He gave her an out, knowing she was in the same situation he was. Food was scarce, sharing wasn't expected in anyway. Everyone had to make it their own way.

She nodded chowing down on her burger. He took a fry gratefully and she shook the fry holder towards him, insisting. His smiled spread further, though he was hesitant to accept. He took the fries and sat beside her, both relaxing together glad to be eating something. The burger was not filling, but it helped. She was sure the fries were not that much better.

"Thanks." He handed the empty holder back to her and she stuffed the trash back into the paper bag.

"No problem." She reached into her pocket, dropping the dime change she got from the cashier into the hat he set out. "It's all I've got left from the meal. Thanks for the company." Getting up to leave she looked around the area to find a trash can when he reached out and tapped her arm.

"Hold on, I got something yesterday; Jenny passed it along." He unfolded a piece of paper from his shirt, handing it to her. "It's from the Life Foundation, y'know, that big company people are always going on about. They're doing some medical research and they're willing to pay for sign ups. Doesn't matter who signs up. They take anyone." The flyer had the Life logo on it and not much about what was involved.

She skimmed the details, all about the promises and not much about the risks. Some generic statement about medicine related side effects, but ultimately helping people everywhere. It looked more like a scheme she couldn't see the end of. They had to be getting something from this. "Are you sure this is... legit?" Her concerns well founded.

He shook his head, "Jenny signed up and they paid her just for signing up. They don't take everyone, but they take a lot. You get paid if you register and paid more if they accept you. They pay us just for signing up, no commitments. If you don't get in or don't answer, it doesn't matter. She got paid a few days ago, some people around here got paid too, then they got accepted."

"How would they possibly make a profit off this? What's to gain?" She shook her head, handing the flyer back. Her face etched with doubt. "I mean, if they just pay for you to put your name on a piece of paper what's to stop the person from just walking away with the money?"

With a chuckle he simply exclaimed. "Nothing! If you change your mind, you don't have to go. You only sign a contract if you're accepted. That's where you can't back out of, Jenny said she's still checking back to see if she gets accepted. They can't touch you legally if you just sign up."

She crossed her arms, the paper bag crackling in her hand. "I don't know, that sounds really weird to me."

He folded the flyer back into his pocket, "Well, just a thought. I'm going to go by tomorrow and sign up. I could use the extra cash." He laughed, entirely thrilled to take part in this deal.

"Take care of yourself, Vern. I'll think about it." She would most certainly not think about it.

He waved her off, "Good luck, thanks again!"

As she walked away she thought of all the consequences submitting to medical testing would do. There was no way she would ever agree to it. _No chance in hell._ For one, they would not take her. Secondly, she was trying to keep a low profile, not set off every red flag she possibly could. It would be a disaster to sign a contract with Life. She heard a lot about them in the papers, mostly about their advancements in space travel.

She loved the idea of being in space. No gravity, floating in the cabin, the vacuum of space sucking away any sound. It was silent in space, dead silent. Perhaps the spaceship cabin would not be, but just outside the window it was. Anything could happen in space; an explosion even and she wouldn't hear a peep. Sound did not travel in the vacuum, the only thing outside was the serene beauty of the universe.

How small she felt thinking about looking out the window to see Earth, to see the planets orbiting the Sun. Everything on the ground felt so heavy, the world around her constantly pressuring her to perform, to watch her back. Up there - nothing. If she failed up there, death was quick. The ship blowing up, suffocating in space, or crashing into something. All quick.

In the city she feared being attacked. Being assaulted, stabbed, or otherwise brutally attacked. Fighting other people wasn't too hard, it's what came after that would hurt. Being outed in the city by a major company would be bad.

She dropped the brown bag in a nearby trash can before spotting a telephone pole with the Life Foundation flyers stapled up to it. This was not likely done by the company, probably others in the area promoting it. Vernon did, maybe they were trying to raise awareness to help out a few folk around the area. She counted back to the cash she had in her tent, hidden under a loose brick behind it. _Four bucks about. Six if I count the payphone change._

She did not want to count the payphone money. It was a deal they made, she wanted to honor it. Looking around, she figured he did plan to come back anyways. No matter what happened she had a way to talk to him and he did say if the change was needed before then...

Raising a hand to the flyer, she tore off a phone number at the bottom. It was just a number to call, likely to set up an appointment. No idea how they would want it do work, scheduling wise it must be difficult if people are spreading the information around.

 _I don't have to sign anything to get paid. Just a signature, that's it. Sign up and get paid._ Her brows stitched together contemplating her choices. _Even if I get paid to sign up, I never have to come back. No testing needed right? Just in and out. Scribble my name and leave with the money._ It felt less like she needed convincing. The promise of money was enough for her, the listed price for a regular sign up was more than she could have hoped for.

 _Fifty to sign up. Fifty more to sign the contact. A hundred upon testing completion._ A deep sigh. _Two hundred dollars just for walking in the door and signing a contract._

Her foot tapped rapidly on the stone below, her eyes darting over the flyers trying to make out anything. _I could get fifty today, tomorrow, whenever. All I have to do is write some info down. If they're accepting homeless than they mustn't be asking for addresses or anything. They probably just want medical history._ The flyer read clearly; "Pharmaceutical testing."

 _Take in anyone. Prior conditions might actually help the testing if they've gotten approval to test. So it's probably them trying to figure out how some people might react. Live testing has to be done somehow, right?_ She had enough change for four calls thanks to the generously donated quarters. The rest she had to keep for food, there was no way around it. Even the payphones were pushing it, but the promise of fifty dollars compared to fifty cents? Entirely worth it.

 _No contracts. Accepted or not, I won't be coming back._ She straightened up, making her decision final. _Just call up, get there, sign up, get paid, and never speak to them again._

Her mind told her that was taking advantage of the offer. _They have enough cash. They spend millions on space travel; my fifty bucks is like vending machine money. I'm sure other people do it too. It's not like they can force you to sign a contract especially when they don't know where you live._ She huffed quite happily. Looking forward to some extra money coming her way. It would last her a long time, that need to keep up on the streets could be slowed down if only for a short time.

She just had to sign her name.


	3. Sign it Away

**Skinning the Beast**

* * *

She did it, though she was not sure what that meant entirely.

The call was made, Life Foundation had an automated system that accepted her call and jotted her down for registration. It happened in less than five minutes; they were efficient if nothing else. She was a little surprised to have been put through the system so quickly. It was a well oiled machine working to get all the registrations they could and she had no idea why.

Usually there were a few rules or requirements before testing. Though she only set up the time to go in and register. Likely they would discuss prerequisites during sign up or when the contract was put forth.

She was adamant about no testing, no way she would ever enter the medical testing phase. The automated system told her it was a three step entrance. Sign up, acceptance and contract signing, then finally prep for medical testing. Whatever it meant after the sign up she didn't want to know. It didn't matter, she was only going for a single short sign up. It wouldn't take more than a few minutes

Jingling the change in her hand, she looked up to the bus sign. Bus fare to and from would be almost all her money. After this trip, if she did not get the fifty dollars promised, than she would only have enough change for a single payphone call. Unless she chose to walk back which... She sighed, it was a long walk. The Life Foundation building was almost on the far side of the city. It would take her all day just to walk back.

 _I have a terrible sense of direction._ She winced. Her abilities finding her way to anywhere were challenged at best. Street names all seemed to blend together, the roads, alleys, and backstreets too confusing for her. _I'm so bad at directions._ Taking the bus was her best bet, but it meant likely another day or so without food. Risky, but again the payoff was enough to feed her for a long while.

 _I could finally get a little hot plate._ Imagining being able to heat up her drinks and food was enough to convince her to go. So there she sat on the bench, waiting for the next bus to stop. She knew having a hot plate meant finding an outlet or some power source, but that was not as hard to find in the dark back alleys behind stores. If she waited for closing time she could use whatever she could find.

She was a bit impatient. There was no guarantee at the end of this line, she was betting a lot on such a short trip. Nervousness ate at her like the cold nipping at her fingers.

In an attempt to seem less like she lived on the street she wore the cleanest clothes she owned. A thrift store blouse and the only pair of pants she had that were not worn to bits. Black corduroy pants hit any dirt she failed to brush off quite well. A somewhat loose silver blouse tucked in and a pair of black flats. Had anyone taken too close a look her clothes were fairly worn in, not entirely clean, yet passable. A dark jacket protecting it from any more dirt and tears. A few stitches undone was hard to hide completely, but she did her best.

Her hair seemed to always be a problem. She had a brush that only made her realize each and every day how badly she needed some hair ties. Anything to stop it from knotting every night. Wild, bushy, and often felt more like horsehair. A dejected sigh as she fiddled with a lock. Fitting into the upper class was something she struggled to do from day one. Even back in New York it just never sat well with her.

She stuck out like a sore thumb and it was not entirely to do with her lack of functional clothing. Seemingly outcast by nature, she just moved on and accepted it. Without social pressure all the time she did have a bit more freedom to herself. A quiet life kicking back was her preference. Being alone all the time was too much, though spending her time with a friend or two every now and then suited her perfectly.

Vernon was a nice person, a gentle soul living on the streets. She knew he lived with a few other of the area's homeless away from the busy streets, a place he once insisted her to check out. He extended the offer and, while she was open to the idea, joining a group was what she wanted to get away from. Not only that but danger lurked in groups. Wherever she slept it had to be where no one was looking. She was safe that way.

She saw the bus approach, having to wait behind some traffic as it pulled up. Her anxiety began to hit her in a hard wave as if someone was dumping a bucket of water on her head. She was about to take the bus to the Life Foundation, walk in the door, sign up with no intentions of following through, get paid, and get home. A first in a long time where she was actively seeking something out. Aside for means to survive of course.

The bus brakes squealed to a halt, a hissing from the undercarriage, and the door collapsed open. A few people went ahead of her and she got the money out of her pocket, stepping up to the driver. He gave her change and dismissed her. She shifted through people, finding a spot to sit in the middle, pressed on by a fellow at the window seat having leaned over for a nap. She wondered how he could sleep with his head against the hard window while the bus rocked into motion.

Keeping her eyes wide, she had to be more on guard in the wealthier areas. These places were home to people who were always watching hot button topics, keeping up with the latest and greatest. She was by no means either one of those, but her association with 1407 Greymalkin Lane could be. The entire area around that house was constantly the focus of new, curious people. A news anchor heaven when something went wrong. It would make a journalists wet dreams come true - if they ever managed to get information out of the people residing there.

Impossible though, as no one there wanted to speak to the news without proper representation. Addressing the public could be seen as acknowledging their concerns, giving validity to even the most outlandish of claims. Considering this their words were always well thought out in advance. Any meeting with public figures was rehearsed ahead of time, every day. They were always watching their backs.

Another good reason for her leaving. She never had a way with words. While some individuals of importance could string together discussions like they were weaving gold, she was not one of those people. A woman of few words and none of them elegant, she usually kept her mouth shut. Her frustrations when acted on either physically or vocally were always wrong.

Physically especially, destructive and damning against their cause. Her words never delicately addressing a subject with the reverence it deserved. Whatever the situation that riled her up, her choice of words could be compared to taking a battering ram to castle gates. At best they were threats of violence, just not so thinly veiled. As a result she had been kept out of public eye as much as possible.

She understood of course, she did not demean them for wanting to protect their reputation. She just did not have the best _control_. It was never her strong suit.

Though public relations was not something she was good at - fighting was. She liked it perhaps more than she wanted. When someone threatened her or the people she lived with, she could become an immediate asset in securing victory. Though it often left destruction in her wake when she overreacted to a threat, she had learned how to fine tune herself in combat a bit better.

Usually she stuck to one way of clearing out their enemies and left it at that. When a good section of their gardens and subterranean sections were damaged they figured out it was best to learn how much strength to use. Using everything she had was overkill in a few circumstances, the same for them. Overkill was damaging overall. Meeting on an equal field helped protect themselves, herself, and their appearance.

So she learned, but she still kept that extremism under the surface. Just in case.

The bus rattled on, people coming and going. The trip was not short, crossing most of the city would be taxing. Gradually the attire of people changed from the slums she lived in to the upper city streets where livable wages rested. People in clean, high quality clothing, uniforms fresh pressed, and younger crowds just taking the bus down the street all gathered on. She felt entirely out of place.

A woman wearing similar clothes to her stood out the most. She had long black hair too, but it was shinning, flowing, and silky smooth. She wore proper black slacks, a white billowing blouse accented by thin gold jewelry. Her face mostly natural with some light makeup to bring out her deep blue eyes. She was a gorgeous woman, everything she wore only adding to her natural beauty.

She looked down to her clothes, a hand fiddling with her hair. Insecurities spiked immediately though she did not often feel insecure back around her alley. The scars on her face a particular target for her insecurity. Though they had faded over the years, they were still enough for her to want to hide what she could behind a curtain of black hair. Her clothes worn in, used by someone else she did not know.

Retreating further into her seat she kept her eyes to the floor and waited to be let off the bus. She felt anxious enough about going to register with the Life Foundation, she did not need her vanity and envy to create more tension. A shallow want, to look as lovely as that strange woman on the bus, but she could not help but feel the way she did. Were she to stand beside her, it was clear who was the best of the two.

Not that she blamed natural beauty or the hard work that woman put into her appearance. She just wanted to have the same situation where she could dress up for lunch with a friend or simply to please herself and her own standards. Her own clothes and looks were well below the standard she wanted to keep.

 _1407 Greymalkin Lane. A bath every night if I wanted it. My own room, my own clothes, my own life._ She mused again. This struggle of choice crept up on her like she had no choice but to fight with it. _No, it's not worth it. It just isn't._

She looked over to the window, watching the city go by. Clean streets mostly, only interrupted by the occasional back alley for garbage trucks to make their rounds. Homeless were few and far between out here. Police kept watch for where they were, where they sat, and where they went after. Such suspicion for the people desperate enough to make bad choices. Knowing the people she met, many good, many not; it was fair to be cautious.

Still, it was always such a fine line between abuse of power and neglect of criminal behavior. Balance was almost never kept for long, something always happened.

The bus stopped at her street. She was happy to get out of the enclosed bus and back into the open air. It was quite brisk out, the clouds had gotten darker and she knew rain was coming. She did not want to arrive soaking wet to the Life Foundation so she hurried along her path. She knew where the building was; everyone knew. You could not miss this shining white tower the Life Foundation built to stand out. It became a navigational tool it was so unique.

She looked to the tops of the buildings, seeing the tower standing proudly above the rest. The street _Genesis._ She rolled her eyes, they probably had the street renamed to something so obviously self-serving. She heard the people that ran the Life Foundation were rather egotistical, but that was not abnormal. She would not be interacting with anyone unique of course, this was a routine task likely taken on by some poor overworked receptionist.

As she neared the building it only got more intimidating. The massive structure overshadowed her like an ant, much like her little fantasy of being an insignificant thing in space - she was insignificant standing at the foot of this monstrous tower.

She made it though, finally here after about an hour bus ride. She felt terribly out of place, completely out of her element.

As she neared the doors they slid straight open, seemingly disappearing into the glass wall front of the tower. Feeling out of place outside meant nothing compared to this. Everything in this building was so... well lit. It was almost stark white how clean and bright everything was. It made her feel _naked._

A glass room off to the right had _MEDICAL RESEARCH REGISTRATION_ plastered on the side. Sucking in a deep breath she headed to the sliding glass door, peering inside to see a woman in a fine suit posted at a white desk and counter. Slowly she neared the desk, catching the woman's attention.

"Good morning, ma'am. Here to sign up?" She had a bright smile on her face, her perfect white teeth as white as the walls.

Nodding shortly, she stood at the desk. "Yes, I called a number on the flyer. The automated system said registration had to be done inside the facility. Is this where I should go?"

"Yes, ma'am." She stood from the desk, leaning to the side to bring up a clipboard with some papers attached. "I'll just have you fill this form out. It's basic information; your name, date of birth, medical history, and a few other questions here or there. We will be checking against public records so we please ask you to be honest with your answers. Don't worry, your registration with the Life Foundation is private. Since you will be providing medical information we are legally obligated to maintain your privacy."

She took the clipboard, eyeing the paper over for a moment. "The flyer stated registration-"

"Is paid, yes. Once you complete the file we will run a quick check and confirm the information. During that time we have a lovely little cafeteria you can wait in with all necessary amenities. Food and drinks in the fridge are free, you may use the computers, TVs, consoles, or read anything from the shelves. No charge." She continued that oddly plastic smile. She seemed nice enough, professionally polite. "If your information is completed and passes, you will be paid fifty dollars and, if you are accepted, another fifty upon your return and another one hundred when testing is complete."

"How, uh, how often are people accepted?" Remaining interested, but still intending on leaving without progressing in the registration.

She took a seat back in front of her keyboard, still looking at her. "Quite often actually. We rarely turn anyone away. We're in need of participants and are willing to pay for their service. You will be helping further medical advancements for the company and for everyone, everywhere."

 _Rehearsed line._ She was not in the least bit curious about what they were testing. "Alright, thanks." She nodded to the woman before sliding into a rather large white leather couch. She was amazed they would have white furniture in a waiting room; it was a lot of trust for random folk.

Looking to the board she filled out the information. The basic questions of no difficulty, common things any form would require. She filled it out mindlessly, scribbling down everything until she reached the second page. There it got interesting.

 _Do you have any current medical condition(s)?_

She was healthy, nothing could get in her as far as she knew. The answer was honest; no.

 _Do you or your immediate family have a history of physical or mental illnesses?_

From the little knowledge she had of her parents neither was mentally ill. Physically she knew her mother had treated for cancer early in her life, but had not had any further complications since had a double mastectomy. She was twenty-two and rarely spoke about it. She never had to check - she did retain diseases. Her answer was honest; yes. She listed the information she had, unable to provide any further details.

 _Do you have any disabilities that will interrupt or complicate pharmaceutical testing?_

She raised a brow, she had nothing she knew of. Things just did not effect her the same. Another honest answer; no.

 _Do you have any allergies? If so, what?_

She marked it down; no. Nothing seemed to do it for her.

 _Do you have any genetic abnormalities that might effect the results of testing? If so, what?_

Her hand hesitated, hovering over the check box and blank writing space beneath. It would not matter, any details like that would not be listed in a medical database. A background check would only confirm her identity and work history. She avoided the truth and answered; no.

Further details were of no interest to her. It was generic, she was able to answer the rest honestly. Common medical questions that she knew like the back of her hand. Standing up she approached the desk and set the clipboard down. She smiled to the young woman who seemed too happy to accept the board back. "Thank you..." She looked to the form. "Miss York. If you'd follow me I'll lead you to the cafeteria where you will be able to relax while you wait." She rounded the desk, gesturing to a glass door leading out the side.

She accepted more eager than she wanted to express about free food and drink. It sounded _delightful._

The building was bright, white, lovely, and too much for her to take in. She did not mind the modern edge design, she just was not accustomed to it. The woman took her around to another room separated by solid walls, an obscured glass door for privacy. She touched something beside the door, it _binged_ quietly, and then the door slid open. A rather 'space age' feel. She was feeling more and more like she was in Star Trek.

"Please, help yourself. I will get back to you as soon as the form is authorized." She turned to leave.

"Wait- how long does it usually take?" It was nice to be treated so well, yet she could not shake her discomfort. She wanted to get in and out.

Tilting her head, "Most of the time it takes no more than thirty minutes to an hour. Plenty of time to eat, drink, and have a nice time winding down." She said it like she expected she was ending a nine to five work day.

"Thanks."

Entering the room she took advantage of the moment. Cash for signing a generic document and now free snacks. She grinned; luck was on her side today. Heading in she was sure to stock up on some food, turn the TV on, and enjoyed herself.


	4. Smokescreen

**Skinning the Beast**

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 **Review replies posted at bottom of story.**

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 _It's been forty minutes._ Her eyes stared at the clock sitting above the cafeteria counters. _She said thirty minutes to an hour. Which doesn't seem like long for a records check really. Maybe they have something prepared for this stuff._ She tapped her fingers on the table. It was not that she was impatient, she wanted to get a move on. She ate what she could, enjoyed an ice cold soda, and spoiled herself playing the game consoles they had hooked up.

She resisted a guilty grin. _I haven't played a game in forever. I'm allowed to splurge a little._ Back in New York, when she had a place to live, her past time including far _far_ too much gaming. She had her own system, her own consoles, and would more often be found playing them. It heavily influenced her 'actions' when she had to fight. She chose her favorites to use; it entertained the people who could see what she was doing.

Leaning back in her chair, she glanced around the room. It was only her in there, not another soul present. The cafeteria was immaculate, as if it was cleaned every hour. The food was fresh, the drinks cold, and there was not a thing out of place. She figured this is what money could do - make even the most well lived in places seem empty.

That is how it felt. Empty and... cold. She raised her hands to her upper arms feeling a sudden chill, goosebumps raised the thin hairs on her arms and neck. Her jacket hung on the coat rack at the entrance to the room, she figured she would not need it. When she first arrived the building seemed a perfect temperature; a comfortable warm. Definitely a welcome change from the outside weather.

Rubbing her arms and continuing her look around, she noticed something odd. There was always that intruding feeling of paranoia in her head, no matter how she tried to resist it. At this moment, staring at the empty cafeteria around her, she realized her paranoia was trying to tell her something. A red flag was raised.

This cafeteria was empty and so impressively clean. Everything had been done, from the trash being taken out to the fridge being sterilized. There was not a single other person here.

Something irked her about this place, something did not seem right and she had no idea what was eating at her. Though over the years she learned to trust her instincts, that gut feeling was there for a reason. She had to satiate it.

Whenever this feeling of unease would hit her, something came with it. Sometimes a person, sometimes an act, sometimes a lot of things all at once. In this massive empty room it hit her, her brain was telling her she was not looking hard enough. Under the surface was a threat and she was not seeing it. The preemptive alarms in her head were getting louder and louder.

One of the most notable times when this happened was back at 1407 Greymalkin. They were attacked, a fight broke out between everyone. They all fought, she vaguely remembered destroying a door frame to get to some of their attackers. There was fire, blood, and crying. It was a bad night and it only got worse.

She trusted the feeling, but she wondered exactly _why_ this was happening here. The Life Foundation was a massive company and she was sitting in a cafeteria having enjoyed a microwaved bowl of packaged tom yum. There was no danger here, it was a secure facility and no one would be dumb enough to attack the building when security crawled over every floor.

If there was danger, who was the assailant? Did she attract attention when she passed through the upper city streets? Had someone seen her, recognized her, and decided to do something about it? Why would they be coming here? Or was her paranoia being agitated by something else, like how barren this room was.

 _Could be no one else is here today... surely other people would be signing up. It seems like an easy deal. In and out, paid; Vernon seemed excited about it. He said Jenny already did it and came back to tell him._ Not a single seat in the cafeteria was out of place, save for the one she used. _So wouldn't there be more people here anxious to get free money?_

It looked as though no one had been in this cafeteria for a long time.

That pressure in her chest returned. _I'm sure it's nothing._ She stood from the table, eyeing the door she entered cautiously. _I'll just go out and ask how much longer. While I'm there I'll ask how many people were coming in today. It's not an appointment thing, just a walk-in and serve._ She tried to keep her mind calm as she approached the door, her flats tapping on the hard floor below.

She stood at the door, but the door did not move. Every door had been automatic so far in their endeavor to appear above the rest, like a technological marvel to the world. Trying to leave an impression of power was common in these companies, there was always a fight to be dominant.

Not that Life Foundation had to try hard. They were quite high on that pyramid, though it seemed they kept fighting for first place. She doubted they would get it. For years there have been other companies far grander that fight for that top spot, very few ever survive it. If the Life Foundation wanted to get that high, there would be no room for...

She blinked, her eyes looking disappointingly at the door. _There would be no room for free registration visits for the poor._

"Miss York?" A voice behind her interrupted her thoughts. Her fingers brushed the glass door sadly, her red flags were not pointing to her - they were pointing to this place. Her defenses raised, she turned around. The door was locked, that's why the woman up front have to scan to get in. It was not to secure the office from the person registering, it was to secure the person _for_ the company.

She looked at the man, a stranger to her, and she gave him no attempts at being kind. "Yes?"

He stepped to the side, gesturing her to a service door beside the kitchen area. "While you wait we have prepared a tour of the facility for you. A look at what you will be a part of once your contract is signed."

The door was open now, no signs of what was inside. She raised a brow to the man. "Tours come standard with registration?"

"Not usually, the tours are reserved for those accepted into our program." He explained only a little, but his statement was giving her enough to go on. Her guard up, she made no movement to accept this tour offer. _There's something wrong here, something terribly wrong. I shouldn't have come here._ Regret threatened to strangle her for her actions.

"Accepted? I only just signed up. The woman at the desk said I there is a waiting period." She wondered if she was prodding for information to buy time to figure something out or to find out what was really going on. Something was wrong here. Vernon said that Jenny returned from her registration with the fifty dollars, what was different here? She came in, signed up, and was happy to be on her way.

"Of course. We rarely turn anyone away and we are excited to begin your introduction to Life Foundation's medical research division." Seeing she was not moving, he stayed with her. "Once we have finished the tour you will be presented with the contract to sign and we will get started immediately."

Denying this immediately, she shook her head. "Sorry, I'm here to register today. I have to get back, I have someone waiting for me." She was playing innocent and unaware. It would not work, as the man smiled even wider. He was politely amused.

"Come now, we both know there's no rush. Please, follow me." He completely dismissed her claim. Her mind ran through the explanations. It was easy to assume they already performed their check, saw she was homeless, and did not care to play games with that. She did not know if their intent was malicious, but she could not very well burst open out here and get spotted on the streets. She needed to be smart.

"I'd actually just like to leave now." She returned his kind smile, though her's more strained than his.

He nodded, "I'm sure." His eyes went behind her and he gave this short nod; _A signal._ She turned around, concern evident on her face. The door slid open and behind her were two men clad in black uniforms. Life Foundation's logo stitched proudly on their shirts, stamps of their security company on their shoulders. The two large men blocked the door and she knew they meant business. Their belts loaded with tools, a holster; an unspoken threat.

"If you would, please." He gestured once more to the far side of the cafeteria.

Reluctantly, she followed the man. The door leaving the cafeteria went from the modern white design of the lobby to this tech focused interior with more security attached to every door, wall, and glass panel than she could understand. It was as though she walked through portal to another building entirely. The welcoming front they built was just that, a front.

Her coat left abandoned on the hook, she shivered from the sudden cold. The temperature was different in here, definitely uncomfortable. They entered an elevator covered in stainless steel and bright white lights filling the space. It hissed as the doors closed and hissed again when the man hit a button. _U_ , _floor U? Underground? There's an underground floor?_ She watched the man, his posture, his increasingly unnerving service with a smile attitude.

It was oddly tight in this elevator, certainly not designed for more than maybe three average sized people. The security guards stayed outside so she remained alone with this strange man insisting on her company.

The elevator beeped with every floor. She thought she was on the ground floor initially, but it looked as though this building had a lot more floors. Whatever was going on here it was not good. At least, not for her. She did not know if they knew anything about her yet she had her suspicions. Perhaps they used the records against her though the only information they could find is her legal documents. Birth certificate, school records, perhaps some trips to the doctor - nothing dangerous or interesting for a company anyways.

If they had the information of 1407 Greymalkin Lane, if they knew she used to live there and what that meant... then why would they want her for pharmaceutical testing? Her biological data would immediately be compromise any test, making her a liability when any research documents were filed for approval. No matter what, this could not happen, the damage to the company's medical division would be incredible. For one using her in medical testing without consent would already cause legal hell. Especially when a certain group of people found her name on the participants.

And they would find out. It was impossible to hide from them. They were on her side, they were good people. It was the people there that made her want to stay, but eventually she had to make a decision for herself. If she was in trouble and they found out, she knew they would help her.

 _How will they find out?_ She looked at the elevator ping as it reached the chosen floor. _Will they find out sooner or later? What is the in between here?_ The man stepped out of the elevator completely unfazed. Following behind him, he lead her down a rather dense hallway. The walls were silver here, panels of all sorts framed each door down the hall. Security was tight and though there were glass doors and walls, she knew they were not as fragile as they looked.

He came to a large, metal double door at the end of the hallway and pulled out a card. It had his face on it, name, and some code on the bottom. He swiped it against a display; the screen flashed to a bright blue and the door cracked. Pressurized air flowed into the entrance, the cool air strong enough to blow her hair back as it opened.

Inside was a round room with glass wall cells, some empty, some not. She entered, her eyes wide at the view before her. "This is where our participants are kept before being moved to the main facility outside the city. Here you will be given a healthy diet, clean water, clean clothes, a place to sleep, wash, and otherwise maintain hygiene." She was only partially listening. She knew now they meant to keep her here.

This was not a place meant to be seen... The people here did not leave. She had seen it once before and it never ended well for the people locked up. She swallowed hard, her stomach clenching. There must be a way out.

"I have not signed any contract to be here. I do not want a tour, I want to leave." She insisted, turning around just to see the doors closing behind her. It sealed shut, she could hear the lock dropping into place. It looked dense enough to be a blast door on a warship; there was no way to force it open. She was strong, her ability strong enough to do serious damage. Not enough to bring down a blast door that size though.

He simply nodded, "I know." Her heart dropped, she did not want to have to fight her way out. "We know who you are, Miss York. We are very lucky you came to us, we have been hoping for some time that someone of your... unique genetics would come along. So far most participants are willing, but ordinary. They come here needing money and willing to be tested on for it. What we do is a little different."

She remained focused on the man, "I don't care what you do. I am leaving through that door. You can be alive when I do, or not."

"Now hold on, let me explain." His hands up before he pointed to the door. "You're not getting out of that door without my key card and even if you do, you have to get out passed security and back onto the streets in full view of the city, of cameras that will record everything you do. We both know that's the last thing you want, but if you stay, listen, I'm sure we can work this out." His cheery voice grated in her head.

She stepped up to the man, "No one knows I'm here. I'm willing to bet you don't want anyone to know I'm here. It won't matter if someone sees me, you'll do the cover up yourself because you don't want to be caught either."

He sighed, "Alright, that's fair. You're likely correct, but may I raise a counterpoint?" He raised a finger. She paused, not wanting to entertain this man, but she did not want to cross a line she did not see yet.

He smiled again and turned his finger to point behind her. "Him."

 _Footsteps_. Her head turned to the side, seeing a man in the same security uniform approach. A long stick in his hand and before she could react to it, the end zapped to life and he stabbed it directly into her ribs. The electric current paralyzed her as she screamed from the sudden shock. She stumbled backwards as he removed the device from her side. "Ah, fuck!" The bright hot electricity shot through her body, tearing through every muscle it could.

Her muscles contracted against her will, her body shuddered. She was blindsided, she had no time to prepare. Grasping her side she doubled over, taking deep breaths while she tried to recover. She looked up, visibly pissed off.

"You shouldn't have signed up." The man straightened up, watching her as she tried to stand up. The security guard poised and ready for another strike. She could take it, but she could not fight back when electrocuted. It would not work, she was hindered. "A quick search lead us to all the information we needed about you. Where you come from, parents, genetic traits, and where you stayed in New York. All records a few years before New York was spotty at best, then you just popped up there before

"So what do you want then? You have test subjects, why do you want me?" She spoke through gritted teeth, struggling to stand. The shocks still shooting through her body, it was painful, but she had to know.

There was no intentions of answering her though. The man gave her an unamused look. "Now you want to listen?" Uncaring, he waved her off. "I was going to give you an overview of what Life Foundation is doing here, but the details are not for me to say. Someone wants to speak to you, but first - we need to make sure you're secured so you don't go jumping our staff."

She saw the guard near her, the taser armed and ready. She reached out, grasping the pole of the stick in a clenched hand. Still too soon for the previous shock to wear off, she was unable to fight back as valiantly as she wanted. The man grabbed her arm and twisted it to the side, yanking the device free and reeling it back. Raising her other hand too late, he drove the taser into her collar and used enough force to pierce the skin.

She tried to push through it, but white spots in her vision told her she was losing. He kept the voltage coming, not giving her a second of recovery. As she fell back he returned the taser to her chest, her body locking up entirely not a single muscle listening to her. She couldn't think through it, there was nothing but white light in her vision. The shock coursing through her body overloaded her senses, the voltage rendering her unconscious.

It did not take as much work to incapacitate her as they feared, though the man accounted this to lack of practice. She had been retired for some time, combat was not in the forefront of her mind as it used to be. It was on theirs though and they had all the advantages. To him she took time off, slept on the streets and became lax in her alertness. Her weakness was paid for in full. There was no chance when they realized who they were dealing with.

They were prepared for it. Once the registration papers with her name had been filed they did whatever they had to. It was easier than usual, her strengths and weaknesses had been in the public eye before. Utilizing it was not hard.

The guard hooked an arm under hers, dragging her away from the doors and into a cell. They would remain nearby, ready to subdue her whenever she woke. It was unlikely though as they had enough to knock her out for as long as they really wanted.

An impossible situation, the moment she was inside the facility she lost. They had everything on their side. Their weapons, the cells, everything was designed to perfection. The best way to give themselves every advantage over someone stronger than average.

Watching the door lock on her cell, the man pulled up his phone and redialed _Drake._

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 **Zabuzasgirl:**

 _Hey hey! Sorry I didn't see your reviews before the last chapter was posted. I was really busy haha  
I hope you continue to enjoy the story, I'm excited to get to the thick of the story when the story really goes down. We have some time jumps coming up soon, so get ready for it!_

 _And don't worry, I am following the 2018 movie Venom. I will include realities of the universe Venom exists in which we have seen inklings of so far, but this story is centered on the Venom movie. There's one major hint so far that would give it away entirely already in the story. There's a few bits that are probably pretty on the nose, but there's still one direct line to what our lovely Miss York is. ;)_

 _Also, no worries about that. Venom and Miss York won't be bonded like that. I can say that testing will take place, but it's not going to go the way people might expect. Due to some aforementioned complications the testing will be quite challenging for everyone involved.  
I can say with certainty that Miss York will not have a symbiote bond to her for long. Unlike Eddie and Venom, a symbiote cannot co-exist with her.  
So many hints so little time. ;;)))))))))))))))))))))))_


	5. Contact

**Skinning the Beast**

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 **Review replies posted at bottom! :)**

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She came to slowly, her body sore and muscles throbbing. They electrocuted her unconscious and sure enough, she was laying on the floor. With a disgruntled groan she fought to open her eyes. Eyelids were heavy, her body felt a hundred pounds heavier, and she felt internally exhausted. She had not dealt with so much stress in such a long time it had taken its toll on her mind. The taser did the rest.

Frustrated, she tried to focus on something at all to get her bearings. White lights blinded her. _Do they not know light intensity can cause eye strain? These things are fucking garbage._ She growled internally, struggling to raise a hand over her eyes to block the light. Her mind wandered to the events that put her on the floor, being lead into a strange room. _Probably in one of the cells he lead me too._

She felt groggy and truly did not want to deal with what came next. She had avoided fighting for so long, so diligently, that she failed when it came time to fight. Her pride was wounded for certain, she felt that familiar sting of failure. Though her training days were long over everything she learned, anything she perfected had rusted over. She was like a car left to rot in a junkyard. It could have run with hard work and attention, but she neglected anything that could have helped her get out.

Blame was rested on her shoulders, she knew she didn't quite deliver. They likely expected a fight and instead got this retired freedom fighter that did not display what earned her such a well respected reputation. Shamed, but not beaten, she opened her eyes fully and was able to see the room.

She went over the basics, what to do when targeted.

 _Where am I?_ Her eyes flickered around the room. _A cell. Three solid walls, one glass. No vents large enough, no visible panels. The room is secured._ There was not obvious ways for a break out, it was made to leave little space for error. They were smart, reinforced everything that she could touch. It was a standard cell though, nothing unique about it. They were just paranoid like her.

 _Who has me?_ An easy answer. She walked into Life Foundation tower for registration. What was looking like payday ended up a lot differently than she anticipated.

 _What do they want?_ Not an entirely clear topic yet. The man only said an overview of medical testing, that much was enforced as true. So the flyer was not entirely dishonest. They only neglected to mention that the participants would be locked up for the duration. A critical piece of information she wished she had now. Not that it would have changed much.

 _Can I fight my way out or do I need to wait for an opportunity?_ She recalled the guard with a taser on a stick. Electricity was something her body did not respond well to. Unlike most people who would get a shock, some other stun guns powerful enough to incapacitate for a long time - she could be effectively paralyzed by a strong enough electric current.

 _It would be best to wait for an opportunity._ She figured since they knew electricity was not her friend than they were prepared for her to make a move. She was strong, but there were limits to everyone's power.

She turned her head, hair brushing around the cold floor. Eyes focusing barely on the edge of a glass panel, the legs of people looking into her cell. With a slight groan she lifted herself up, pushing against the floor. Her body protested, aching with every inch. Looking behind her she saw a cot, thin and uncomfortable looking but it would serve its purpose for now.

Leaning against the bed she took a few deep breaths. "Just gonna stand there? I can't imagine I'm fun to watch." She grinned, her gaze following the legs of a well dressed man. She did not expect who she saw though, a familiar face only by way of the newspapers featuring him prominently. With him stood a few people, some in white coats and others in relatively normal attire. "You're uh, that guy - Life's big dog, right?"

He gave her this unnerving half smile, eye contact with the man creeping her out. Just the way he looked at her, his demeanor; something was a little off. Like the man from before, there was this uncanny valley that disturbed her. "Carlton Drake. It's a pleasure to meet you."

She scoffed sarcastically, "Oh yeah, sure." Her hand gestured to the room around her. "Welcome to castle de la York. If you step inside I'd be happy to give you the tour." There was no mutual respect here, she spited this man the second she knew something was not quite right. Not all the time was the heads of a company aware of what the company was doing, but clearly this was not the case here.

Understanding and unshaken, Drake addressed her again. "I'm excited to tell you what we're doing here, perhaps you're interested?" He knew she was, who wouldn't be? Stuck in a cell she would want to know why.

Throwing an arm up, "Let's hear it then. Why, Carlton Drake, did you kidnap and imprison me other than the obvious?" She saw his eyes narrow and head tilted just slightly. She smirked, "Because you're crazy."

He dismissed the people around him, giving some semblance of privacy. Not that it counted for anything. "We found something not too long ago. Something we were not looking for. We brought it back, contained it, and started to find something truly amazing." His smile grew wider as he spoke, audibly thrilled with himself. "Each one would die alone, but when it was put into a room with another living thing; it would _meld_ with them."

Slightly disgusted, she looked at him as though he really was crazy. "I don't care about any of that. I only care why I'm here specifically. You can keep your psycho ramblings to yourself."

Disappointed and someone annoyed, Drake accepted her response. "Fine. You were brought here because you signed your name and we conducted a routine check." He explained, his tone matter of fact. She gave him no room to express his hopes for her, so he would be direct. "You're genetic structure is incredibly unique. You know that, right? They must have told you."

"I know enough. Why does it matter to you?" She snapped at him.

"Because you are a mutant, humanity evolved. Even more, you're a unique kind of mutant that falls into a subcategory perfect for our tests. We have had complications trying to understand the creatures we brought back here, they try to connect to a host and always fail. When exposed for too long without a host, they die." His expression flat, not showing her how frustrating their failures have been.

She crossed her arms, "So you want me... to be a 'host'?" She put a few of the pieces together. The flyer, it was targeted. She knew paid registration was too promising, the empty room was a massive hint, and she ignored all the warning signs. "If it's failed so far, what makes you think I could be a host? Probably just can't survive here. Atmosphere and all that shit." She mumbled something like ' _I'm no scientist, jesus_ ' under her breath.

"Back in New York you where most mutants are well documented and categorized - you fall under the shapeshifter category. Very few mutants exist with that genetic trait, even fewer with your way of going about it." He approached the glass, his eyes flicking over her. "You can be an infinite test subject. You can change constantly and you can change to suit our tests. No more guess work. If we need you to change any feature of the human body - you can do it."

"And what would convince me to do that for you?" Her tone dripped with poison. She was an unwilling participant and had no intentions of helping a people that imprisoned her. Nothing he said would change her mind. Stubbornness was a talent.

He nodded, looking to the space behind her. There was plenty of room in her cell; it was not small by any means. "You could choose not to help us and we will do what we can to... persuade you. I know offering money won't work, if money could buy you than you would've negotiated it already. I know I can't let you out of the lab because I know who you'll call."

"You know they'd tear through this place to find me." He agreed wholeheartedly.

"I'm not stupid. You won't willingly help us so I won't even suggest it. I am sure I would end up insulting you, making you even less likely to help." His tone was low, threatening. "I also know you're smart enough to know what the panels on the glass mean. You can see them monitoring your heart, your blood pressure, and a lot more. You've been unconscious for long enough."

"Long enough for what?" She stood from the cot, meeting him on eye level.

He watched her a moment. No movement against him, nothing to suggest she would attack. The glass was strong enough to resist any human attempts to break it and he knew she could. "Long enough to get whatever information we need. If you choose to remain as you are it is entirely possible you'll not survive the first test. No guarantees though, we don't know ourselves how it will react to your unique genetic structure."

There was no way to get this man to simply _say_ what was going on. His want to talk in circles was annoying her. She tried to force it. "So you want me to shift so you'll, what, be able to see how I shift? It's not fucking rocket science. There are shapeshifters out there and plenty of studies for public viewing. Why me, why now, why these things, why my shifting, and long enough for what?" She sneered at the man.

Drake nodded a moment. "You might have noticed something in your neck-" Her brow furrowed and she reached her hands up to her neck, inspecting the area. She found a metal _thing_ on the right side of her neck just behind her jaw. "Or you didn't. It'll deliver a shock anytime you act out and, from what is publicly known, you don't like electricity. Any actually, all electricity has the same effect on you. It's funny really; you can escape almost any injury, illness, or disease. Yet you can't do anything if you get a shock while plugging in your TV."

The trouble started when a lot of their weaknesses were presented. It created a rift in the group, opening everyone up to attacks from anywhere. It was dangerous and she had too many close calls when some of their enemies found out just a bit of electricity could take her out of a fight. Retirement was a way to save herself. Then again, he must know...

"If I do what I do you know this will just... fall off." She fiddled with the round metal object attached to her.

"Please, you offend me. We know when you _change_ that you shed first and we can't stop it. Which would make any dermal connection entirely useless. If you keep messing with it I'm sure you'll find it's subdermal. Like a piercing that goes a bit deeper than you might expect. It's impressive it was made so quickly, honestly. I asked for a device to keep you here and they delivered."

She pressed on the metal point, pressing it into her skin and felt a disturbing pressure inside her neck. "That won't keep me here, it'll straight kill me. You'll lose your test subject."

Dismissing her fears, he did not give too many details. "The current can be changed. One slip up won't kill you, but if you force our hand... I can't promise anything."

She kept messing with the implant on her neck, the sensation of this _thing_ in her neck was uncomfortable and so strange. There was no pain, just soreness in the area, like a deep bruise. With it still in her neck she would not be able to fight.

"Your ability is unique compared to other shapeshifters. Most of them change their physical form and can do so freely at any time; no homework required. People like that are rare, having such power so easily abused. You have to work for yours, you have to study and build a thing from understanding, knowledge. It does mean you can also shift into things not of this world with just a bit extra work." She rolled her eyes, leaving the glass to sit back on the cot. She knew how her power worked, an explanation was a waste of time.

He saw her walk away; he had thought she might be impressed he knew so much about her. "A shapeshifter like them can't hold a form for long, especially one that changes their size too drastically. You can though, you can change form and _retain_ that form for however long you want. Within reason of course."

"So you want me to shift into what? Your subjects are already human and testing has failed. I assume if you wanted to test a, I don't know, a fucking dog you'd just get a dog." She laid partially on the cot, bored of listening to Drake humble brag.

"I don't want you to shift into anything specifically. I get two important benefits from you." He smiled again, his pride puffing up. "I get a test subject that won't die even if bonding fails. Most importantly, when we finally get you to shift for our purposes we will have a test subject capable of versatility impossible from the subjects we pick up. You can become the ultimate host, able to change your structure to their needs. We can learn so much from you. You can teach us what humanity needs to survive." It was promising to him, but she dreaded every bit of it. Rightfully so.

"If I'm getting this, my options are... Use what I do and get out, I either get shocked and go down or get shocked _real_ bad and die. On the opposite side of the spectrum I can just not do anything and sit here until you get bored." She tilted her head side to side, "Which I'm sure will end with me dying from this weird thing in my neck anyways."

Drake smiled, "Glad to see you are listening."

Returning to tapping on the device in her neck she did not take long to mull over her choices. "I think since my options are die and also die, I'll just sit back. So far no incentives or realistic options for _not die._ "

"You could always do what we ask."

She openly laughed, a real mirth in her tone. "Nah."

Drake expected it, he did not care if they reached an agreement. He always doubted there was even a chance for cooperation so he did not try for something so ridiculous to her. Instead he left the front of her wide cell, returning to the people he had arrived with. She watched him leave, the smile from her face fading instantly. Her position was not good and despite her attitude she was screaming inside her head.

Enraged, scared, and volatile. Not a single one of her impulses were good for her and she knew it. When threatened she fought, other people did strategy and planning. She was never good with it. Her preference was to jump in head first, fighting and taking out whatever was in her warpath.

Unfortunately that was more often than not the worst option she had. With her ability she could be the hardest to catch or the biggest thing in the room. It was too difficult to account for shapeshifters at all. She met a few others, not many, only one who could choose a form to take and not just one. In this the shapeshifter's strength above all else was unpredictability, being the multi-tool of any battlefield. Drake was right; versatile.

The implant in her neck intrigued her. However long she was out for she did not know, but it was long enough to move her to an entirely different area. She remembered a circular room with cells and now she was in a cell, but it was not attached to the room from before. This area was white, modern; more like the Life Foundation's aesthetic front. This area was made for people to see, for people to work in.

Looking out the glass wall she could see a few people moving around, more people in lab coats. _Am I even in San Francisco still?_ She wondered, being transferred while unconscious was a jarring experience. Not the first time and, from the looks of it, not the last. _All these people are just... in on this?_ Guards, employees, people studying whatever Drake had them working on.

These things he talked about, something he considered important enough to experiment on human lives. She was not a scientifically minded individual, she knew the usual facts about space and various things like that... but picking up alien life and bringing it back to Earth seemed insanely reckless at best. Whatever his plans she wanted no part and knew, for now at least, she had no choice.

Her fingers rested over the metal implant still, such a strange thing now hovering over her. She knew it worked, of course it worked, they would not capture a mutant and not have some way to control them. Testing it was not wise, she did not want to be unconscious again. She needed to be alert, ready for anything. There was no telling when an opportunity would present itself.

So she sat on her cot and kept her thoughts to herself.

It did not much matter what she wanted to do at this time since Carlton Drake had plans for her. A few minutes passed after he left when she heard the familiar sound of the glass doors sliding open. She rolled her eyes and sighed, looking to see the door open with a group of people behind it. Curiously she watched and waited. Guards flanked the people in white coats, there was no opportunity here.

The pushed in some device on a platform. Less of a polished design than the rest of the building and furniture. It was made mostly of metal, parts connecting to a canister on top with a weird... sludge inside it. The canister was maintained by whatever the platform it was on supported. This was one of the things Drake mentioned, a thing they brought back with them to experiment on.

Quickly the people retreated and locked the door. It was airtight this room, absolutely locked down for anyone and anything. She stood from the cot, her eyes glancing between the canister and the people watching. She neared the canister, staring at the odd thing wriggling inside it. It did seem very alive and it slid all around the canister always trying to find a way out.

She realized the airtight room was not to keep her in - it was to keep this thing in if it escaped.

Visibly disturbed by this weird slimy looking creature, the people outside started the steps for their test. _Well, this is... going to be... oh fuck._ She grimaced at the very idea of this thing trying to bond to her. She deliberated on weather she hated bonding with Drake or this alien sludge more. _Fuck Drake, square little fuck._ The light on the end of the canister blinked. _Red. Red. Green._

The tube popped open and the sludge hurried to escape. She did not blame it, she would do the same if she could. For now she took a few steps back to watch the thing gather itself. There was a second where it seemed to just be somewhat still, as if it was trying to figure out what was going on as much as she was.

Then it jumped directly for her. Her eyes went wide as the speed of the sludge surprised her. Raising her hands instinctively she tried to block the thing from latching onto her face like a creature from Alien. It was undisturbed by this though, encasing her hands in its body with ease. It crawled up her arms, appearing to double in size upon making physical contact with her.

She leaned away from it as best as possible, realizing it was just melding to her body and her resistance was useless. As it covered her arms and neck it began to face, sinking into her skin and leaving no imprint it was ever there. Her skin crawled thinking about this thing inside her. She ran her hands over her arms, neck, and face to check for the alien creature.

It seemed to fade away entirely, it bonded to her almost seamlessly. Sure that it could not be so simple she looked to the people watching their experiment and shrugged. She felt no different, she felt as normal as ever. The people on the other side were watching a monitor beside her cell, pointing at something only they could see. It was still here, it was doing something, but she was not privy to that information.

Minutes passed and they felt like hours. Her paranoia was going haywire for good reason. Inside her wriggled this alien thing that wanted her to be its host. She did not know if the ideal host was something they had killed or something still alive. In either case she made a strong decision not to shapeshift, shedding the body might solve the alien sludge problem but she knew it would not fix the implant.

The only thing shifting here and now would do is help their experiment. So she took this time to strengthen this resolve, trying to ready herself when they tried to force her hand. She expected them, Drake's people, to do so. She did not expect the thing inside her to try anything. It was this thing, a creature, she assumed it was not sentient and so far it showed no signs of her being wrong.

She remained standing, waiting, watching. They were working carefully on whatever was going on that she could neither see nor feel. Whatever it was they were thoroughly engrossed in it.

Then it came in increasingly bad waves. Her body felt distended, she felt a fever like chill over her body, and her body tensed all at once. _Oh what the hell._ She groaned as it got worse. Her body felt like all her organs had been pushed to the side, a shiver went up her spine as the pressure slid around her heart. Her vision came and went, her periphery vision entirely disappeared.

The people watching were talking fervently about what they were watching. The creature was acclimating itself to her body, finding comfort somewhere around her organs. Involuntarily she felt her body begin to pull at the seams. The people far more interested in her shifting process in relation to the creature melding with her. Something was trying to change her form without her permission.

Pushing back, she crossed her arms around her stomach and resisted the action. Shifting was not a pleasant process, when done wrong it could be painful. Long cuts appeared on her shoulders, the skin tearing as it tried to change her form. She fought back, resisting the alien's control. It demanded an action, but she did not have to perform it. The more it fought, the more she fought.

No matter what, the creature could not win a battle of wills with its host. It needed to work together with the host, a relationship between the two could only be possible by a mutual goal. While escaping this place was a goal, she had no intentions of attempting to escape with the restrictions they had placed. For now their minds were split and the host would not heed to its commands.

It was painful, the fighting was not a simple task. It was nothing like fighting an enemy in front of her. This thing inside her squeezed her organs, whirled her insides around as it worked its host. She refused the bond, her history of handling intrusive people in her head actually came in use. While certain mutants were respectful and telepathy rarely crossed the privacy line, there were a few times it went too far.

Seeing the host push when it pushed, the creature could not meld with the host entirely. The bond failed and the sludge had no reason to remain.

The creature drained itself from her body. Both the thing and the host rejecting each other. The sludge appeared through her skin and the fight for dominance in her body ended. Her body retained itself and the sludge crawled to the floor unable to bond with this host.

She stepped backwards unsteadily, dropping onto the cot unceremoniously. Her body was already sore and tired. Now she felt thoroughly invaded. Whatever that thing was it was not friendly and she wanted nothing to do with it. Thankfully it retreated from her and lunged at the glass, unable to reach the people beyond it. She watched, quite happy it seemed to dislike her as much as she disliked it.

Tired, she laid on the cot uninterested in the creature as it struggled against glass. They had finished their experiment and the alien would not be returning to her. It had no want for her and it would get no where trying to control its host. A host needed to be pliable, ready to bond. Without at least the faintest cooperation it could not survive.

This was not the end of the tests though. They had plenty more planned and a lot worse coming her way before they were done.

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 **Zabuzasgirl:**

 _I've finally openly stated it in this chapter, but she's a mutant. Venom is a part of the MARVELverse involving mutants heavily. He has had a few run ins with various mutants before. He has even bonded to a number of famous mutants like Laura X-23 who is the clone of Wolverine and Deadpool.  
The woman who we only know as "York" right now is a mutant with shapeshifting abilities. Though they are a bit different than the common shifters like famous mutants Mystique, Wolfsbane, or Mercury. York's ability is not as readily powerful as Mystiques or as liquid as Mercury.  
A lot of symbiotes like Riot, Carnage, Scream, etc. they're all Venom's children and most of the symbiotes with Drake's company are relatives of Venom since he was with them at the time of the crash. A symbiote bonding to York is not possible with the mutation she has and the symbiotes are directly related to Venom...  
I feel a little weird if I had her bond with a symbiote from Life Foundation while she was going to engage in a relationship with Eddie/Venom. Hahaha that would be a... tough situation!_

 _The major hint was 1407 Greymalkin Lane. It is the street address of the Xavier Institute where mutants are taken in, given an education, and a place to learn their mutations in a safe environment. :)_

 _But there will be more to come, things will be happening now that we're finally getting into the thick of the story. Next chapter will be a considerable time skip as I'm sure no one wants to read through the long boring days of being stuck in a cell 24/7 xD_

 _I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D_


	6. Rejection Stings

**Skinning the Beast**

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 **Review replies posted at bottom of story.**

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 **Two Months later...**

She spent most of her time in the original cell she awoke in, rarely moving to a larger room for different tests involving whatever they had in mind that day. It mostly involved those alien sludge things that always tried to bond to her, at times it was all about her genetic structure. The X-Gene was confirmed, as expected, and they furthered their studies on how to utilize this information.

Not much could be done with it, a person carrying the X-Gene was natural. So far any attempts to remove or copy it had proven impossible. The only way to create an exact copy of the X-Gene of one person was to clone that person entirely. Cloning was not as simple as creating another one of her, a clone had to be birthed and raised like anyone else. She knew of a group capable of creating an adult clone, but the technology to do so was not within Life Foundation's grasp.

For now they tested. A full physical was completed weekly with blood tests, an EKG, various screenings that she did not know the purpose of. She knew they wanted her healthy enough to support a bonding. They kept her well fed, clean water whenever she wanted, a place to sleep and a private restroom. New clean clothes felt nice after taking a long hot shower, she had not been so clean in a while.

It was a trade off since being clean, fed, and healthy meant being imprisoned, tested on, and tortured.

In order to try and force her shifting ability they had attempted both physical force and some odd stimulants she had never seen before. Likely they were trying to cause some kind of internal reaction to force the shift. It was possible to force a mutant to use their power in some cases, mostly those who use mental or emotional triggers. Physical mutations were a bit different.

They could be driven by their willpower or emotional instability, but hers was not. She was entirely physical, her ability changing her form to only what she knew how to create. Using proven methods to force a telekinetic to throw a mug across a room would not work. The only way for her to change was if she willed it. The shift took work, it was not a smooth transition.

The people testing her seemed to not understand this, their experience with mutants entirely nonexistent. She was sure finding employees who do have experience with mutants were so rare that the Life Foundation could not find them. Likely their prices were extreme too, either an employer wanted someone with mutant biology experience or not at all. A rare field likely had those people doing something more important than 'pharmaceutical testing.'

Of course she did not know for sure if any of the people working for Drake even knew more than basics about the X-Gene. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. Not that it mattered at this point she was still stuck in this cell with metal piercing in her neck that could kill her.

There was more to what they were doing here, something under the surface that she figured would cause a lot of damage. While the company seemed harmless, their underbelly was rotted. Staying alive, staying on her toes was not difficult here. Being healthy she was able to spend her time trying to watch what they were doing, checking their routes. Her focus heavily on how the device in her neck worked.

It would shock her, they had already used it a few times. Nothing severe and not because she crossed any lines; they used it as part of the test. When the alien creature attempted to bond the first time she was able to reject it using only a small portion of her shifting. It separated the creature from her safely without giving them any results to progress on.

The next time they attempted a bond she did the same and the bond immediately failed. To force the bond to advance they had tried to strap her down and use the electric device in her neck to paralyze her. While the pain of being even partially electrocuted was amplified for her, they were banking less on causing pain and more on distracting her from fighting off the bond. Whatever they did it was rarely intended to be torture.

Drake wanted the bond to take even for a short period of time - he wanted to know if the creature could use her shifting ability for its benefit. Every time the bonding process would start her rejection was an ultimate decision, the creature could not take to a host with that much control over themselves. She was intensely grateful for the mental training she was required to pass back in New York. The most powerful known telepaths lived there, trained there, and conditioned their teammates to resist mind control.

That is to say mind control or mind altering abilities strong enough to overpower their teachings was rare. They taught enough to make even their intrusions difficult, when the target was on guard. Here in Drake's alien testing labs she was always on guard and continued her conditioning whenever she had a moment to herself. Not that it was easy or foolproof, it was professionally done and took time, effort, and knowledge on how to do it.

The creatures... she did not know how intelligent they were. They certainly knew how to engage the potential host, but that could be simple instincts. When it melded to her it felt _wet_ and the moment it disappeared under her skin and signs of the creature vanished with it. Her innards felt like they were being slid around, but the creature caused no pain at first.

She attributed the lack of pain to her mutation and how she built her body. It was different than the human body, a lot more room for error if she got hurt. The creature likely needed to figure her out as much as it did any other host it attempted to bond to. Unfortunately for it, she was as _versatile_ as the creature was. While it used its ability to blend into her body as if it was just another organ, she could reject the obstruction and remove it.

That was not something Drake and his team wanted.

On the third attempt to bond a creature to her she rejected the creature again, using force to keep it from melding with her at all. Drake, maintaining his composure, decided the best way to avoid that situation again was to make sure she was strapped down.

The forth attempt she went peacefully to an angled table that kept her standing and facing the researchers. Drake thought it was checkmate situation as she was well and good strapped. Thick canvas straps on her arms, wrists, legs, torso, waist, hips, neck, and head. They were tight too, leaving no room for her to even twitch. Then they found out that all those straps were entirely useless.

Once again a creature soaked into her skin and she waited to allow it to settle. The physical act of invading her body meant nothing to her, the body could be thrown away in favor a newer, fresher body with whatever changes she wanted. Shifting entirely to reject or accept the creature would only help Drake and his people, they would gain understanding and use it against her.

So she never shifted entirely. Instead, she changed the structure of her body. Within the straps, inside the cell, with everyone watching she shocked the team.

Thinking her secure, she shook her head and allowed only partial shed. Another reason why her mutation was not looked kindly on - it was violent, visceral. Her skin separated from the sinew underneath, only her arm though, it was all she needed. Both to show the control she had over her mutation and that she was being entirely non-threatening. It was a power display and she stared directly at Drake to make sure he knew.

Blood ran down her arm, the people watched, Drake made no reaction, and she shrugged with a nonchalant expression on her face.

"What the fuck?" She saw mouthed from a scientist. The skin loose, her sinew arm pulled from the sleeve of flesh. Bright red blood began to seep down her to pool on the floor below. Drake's nostril twitched.

From the shoulder down there was no skin. As human skin is simply an organ covering the body she was able to easily divide between it and the meat of her arm underneath. It dripped blood, the muscles could be seen contracting. She left her body as is to show she did not need to shift in order to handle the creature trying to bond with her. This act of shedding part of her skin was useless to them, it provided no helpful data.

She placed her flayed hand onto her chest, unsettling sounds of bones cracking and bending could be heard before her hand grasped the opened rib cage. One of the scientists closed her eyes, the rest watching with professional curiosity to see a mutant perform in front of them and others just felt a morbid interest. She opened a rib cage, reached under her shirt and slid the skinless hand into the bloody cavity.

It felt similar to ripping off a cast made of duct tape except wet. She grabbed the creature wrapped around her and pulled. Of course it was not painless, the process was absolutely painful, though not nearly as painful as it would be for most people. Able to change the active sections of nerves, though it was not an exact science for her. Anatomical study was her major focus to understand and use her ability to the fullest, but in this case she sort of winged it.

Tearing the alien sludge from her cavity she shifted her chest back together, sealing the split with little challenge. In her fleshless hand was the wriggling mass of a creature, desperate to continue the bond. She reeled back as much as her arm could and launched the alien at the glass. It hit the reinforced glass with a wet _squelch_ and it climbed all over the glass to find a new host.

After her point got across she moved her arm back to the sleeve of skin she left in the straps. She had a harder time putting her skin back on, similar to trying to put on a long glove with one hand. Once she got her hand in she filled the sleeve and it reattached to the red meat of her arm. She finished, the test was over.

She saw Drake's displeasure with her and this mutation though. That brought her incredible satisfaction.

The white sterile clothes they had given her were now stained with blood, the mess in the room told a worse story than what actually happened. While the sight of red stains, a shifting mutant, and the dominant display was all a great focus... Something else took their attention.

Exhausted, the time ran out for this alien. It fell from the glass, sliding down to pool on the ground. A few struggled movements, what seemed a lot like the twitches of a dead body, and then it completely deflated. Whatever biological structure the aliens had could not survive without a host and for this specific subject the clock ticking on its life ran out.

The alien she rejected most forcefully had died, the dark color fading from its form. It looked strange, like a pool of melted metal on the floor. Everyone watched closely, wondering if it was safe to enter.

While the rejection was harsh, she had not harmed the creature as much as she technically harmed herself. Though her damage was easily repaired the alien was not. She was just as surprised as the people outside the cell; mostly surprised it died so easily. Something so threatening that had killed its other possible hosts that failed bonding and it just plopped to the ground inelegantly and died right there.

This marked the first death of the aliens the Life Foundation brought back and forced Drake to reevaluate their work. They had to double their efforts to work against the clock they never knew was ticking. She did not believe she had anything to do with this creatures death, but Drake was not convinced.

After this attempt she was returned to her cell, given a new set of clean clothes, and she showered in the small private facility she was given. She checked herself in case she mishandled her shifting, tested the area, and found it stable. She did it right, everything was back where it belonged. Cleaned up properly she returned to her cot and waited for whatever came next.

This time they would not risk their precious alien subjects on her without being fully prepared. Knowing they were dying, they changed their approach. She could not be allowed to damage them any further since it was clear they were already struggling.

The fifth time was the gateway of their progression and her wake up call.

Strapped down again, laid onto a table, the subject was brought in. Releasing the creature it did exactly as expected. She wondered if they thought she would not do the very same thing again, this creature would not be able to begin its bond before she ripped it back out.

Then she realized what they planned. The moment the creature began to meld with her, she saw one of the scientists holding a remote in his hand and a hesitant look in his eye. As the alien crawled over her finding her as its target host, as usual it began to meld with her leaving her with this weird wet feeling as it drained through her skin. The moment the creature began to settle she watched the man raise the remote and adjust something on it. She had a moment of peace before he hit a button.

Instantly she felt the electricity coursing through her body. The device in her neck was not delivering a severe current, but most electricity was more than enough for her. Their intent was not to kill, but to paralyze.

She struggled against the straps, the electric shock firing her muscles and forcing searing pain through her neck. The creature seemed to struggle with her, unable to bond fully as the electricity overloaded her senses. The connection to her as its host meant that the electrocution to stop her from shifting the creature out of her was not a good plan.

As the electricity raised her body spasmed, the bond the creature was trying to form did not respond to electricity. Feeling ultimately immune to the shock on such a low value, it continued to bond with little resistance. She had to fight against it while the electricity demanded her attention. Unable to properly reject the bond, the creature was able to comfortably connect.

The low current meant while she was in pain and paralyzed, she was still aware. The creature settled within her body, the bond formed, and she could not stop it. Once they confirmed the bond completion, the electricity stopped and given a moment of respite. Her body started to relax, shocks still shooting through her body slowly fading away. Her fingers twitched, her muscles jerked, and she tried to figure out what to do next.

How to get the creature out while they were poised to electrocute her, seeing the alien was immune to the shock. They were working, trying to see what was happening on the inside. While she twitched and worked to find whatever this bond was.

Time passed and they left her attached to the table, their work not finished. So she waited to remove the thing, fearing the shock that would come if she shifted now. It would only hinder her, proving her will to fight would get her more trouble. It was not in her nature to _not_ use brute force, but she learned from her past mistakes and the intelligent approach to confrontation her old teammates used.

Frozen between electricity, the alien crawling inside of her, the people watching outside with a remote, and the bond already being formed she had to wait before she could do anything about it. During this period of waiting while they studied her and the alien bond, she just kept relaxed and wondered what someone smarter than her might do here. If one of the powerful telepaths she knew had to handle this situation, how would they act at this moment?

She figured they would wait for their opportunity to purge the creature since she did have the power to do so. The time was not now, not with that remote so close.

In the middle of her solving this position they were ready to move her back to her cell. She was stuck with this creature and she could feel it intruding on her space. Like someone with a hand on the back of your head no matter what you did to shake it off. A strange personal touch and she definitely _hated_ it. Rejection was only so much, but this time she did not shift to force this creature to retreat.

If she felt it attach to her body, than the body dying would prove her as an unstable host. Her body was held together by what she chose for it, a body made by her, for her. Similar to building a machine to house an AI, the body was _not_ her - the brain was.

So she stopped entirely, she released the shell she had created. It would not register as her shifting, at least, that is what she learned the last time she tried this move out.

She was born in a body as normal as the next child. Healthy, everything in place, when her mutation developed she learned she could create new forms. When she was vilified for being a danger she went somewhere that raised her and taught her how to use this ability to her advantage and control it. She also learned with it that a form she chose could die, but that did not mean she would.

She could separate her brain, the consciousness that is her; a human. She gave herself a shell to protect her from injury and illness without having to shift constantly. Her bodies would die to injury or just simply being worn down. The process was difficult and yet strangely natural. She crafted a shell, a body to house her, but not a body that _was_ her.

Cutting off her connection to the body was easy. Like pulling a plug out of an outlet, the second she tugged at the cord the body shut down and she remained protected in the body.

The creature could not catch onto the problem it encountered. It was no longer bonded to a living host - the body she took died yet the device was still implanted in her. She could not remove it from her muscle without great effort that would be seen immediately. This move killed the body without shifting on a visible level, but if she were to try and expel the piercing from her flesh the shifting would not go unnoticed. The shock would be immediate and her attempt would fail.

This way all the people on their monitors examining her body with x-rays and medical equipment she did not understand would not see shifting. All they saw was a body lit with life, lungs breathing and heart pounding would see it all shut down at once.

Monitors flashed with red screens alerting the scientists to an emergency within the test. The creature vacated the body, unable to connect to a 'dead' host without harming itself. She could not retain this false death for long though, it would eventually be like holding her breath. It would kill her if she denied to reconnect for too long. All she needed was the creature to leave her entirely.

The bond was broken but she could not feel it once it was done. Only when the sludge began to gather outside the body, trying to find a new host was she able to tell that it left her as a host. It slid off the examining table and went straight back to the glass where it saw more potential hosts.

She felt the struggle to remain disconnected begin to suffocate her. Pushing it as far as she could go, she had to reconnect.

The shocks in her body were still somewhat there, her muscles still tight. It was not too bad, especially once she was able to inhale. She gasped for oxygen, coughing as her body lit back to life. Her organs pounded as the brain was returned to them, ordering the subconscious commands to work. Her lung sucked in air and her chest hurt, her heart pounding like a jackhammer.

Seeing this sudden return of their test subject, the people behind the glass figured out that testing her even by keeping her entirely paralyzed was going to be harder than they though.

Her eyes strained to see them out of the corner of her vision. She gave them a breathless smile, the creature not noticing the host had returned. It did not give her a second though, rejecting such a body so seemingly flawed. This host died on command, but all it knew was that the host it had reached was not alive when it bonded to it. To preserve itself the creature did not attempt another bond.

The people running the tests figured this was a problem and Drake was absolutely willing to push her as far as she could go. He had no intentions of releasing her even if she managed to be that missing link he wanted.

She would challenge them at every turn, even when the tests took a turn. From these displays of her mutation, Drake began to take it too far.

The sixth, ninth, thirteenth... each test progressing from scientific endeavors to torture. He wanted his answers and bet she was his best chance to find out what needed to be done. It would not come without a fight.

* * *

 **Zabuzasgirl:**

 _I'm glad you like it! Mutants are rare in the MARVEL universe, but since Venom isn't technically in the MCUniverse I felt like there is a lot I can do creatively with this. I hope you enjoy more! :)_

 ** _Gilyflower:_**

 _Hi! I'm excited to make more! I'm happy to hear you like it so much!  
And yeah, I always thought like... the people we see perform these great mutations are the most powerful of the lot with the most advantages. But not every mutant is like that. Obviously Mystique would be considered the greatest example of a perfect shapeshifter. She can turn into anyone, anything (within reason), at anytime. She can imitate them down to their very unique bodies like fingerprints. She can even create clothing and imitate other mutant's that have physical powers!  
However, there are a lot of mutants... not all of them are the most perfect examples of their mutation class.  
In this case, York is definitely not a perfect example. Her shifting ability had advantages Mystique, Wolfsbane, the Windigos, or even the Klyntars have. It also has drawbacks that the others are not subject to. Such as the... uh, unique way of shifting lol  
It's very... not PG-13 xD_

 _I hope you enjoy this latest chapter! We learn a bit more about her shifting, but not everything just yet ;)_

 ** _xxxRena:_**

 _Thanks! I'm looking forward to progressing the story, giving you guys a lot more to read :D_

 ** _Antex-The Legendary Zoroark:_**

 _I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the story so far! And nope, she will not get her own symbiote. Since the symbiotes brought back by Life are all literally direct relatives I felt it a bit strange for an Eddie/Venom x OC romance to... well you see! I don't think Venom would be super chill with it since symbiotes produce asexually and can change gender (technically) based on who their host is.  
She-Venom is one of those examples.  
Also, Riot is Venom's son. The movie did not explain it, but he is. Riot, Carnage, Scream, etc. All Venom's children. All the symbiotes that Drake has in testing are related in some way to Venom. xD_

 _I hope you like it so far! Her mutation will be showing up a lot more, but some complications will arise in the near future. We'll see how it plays out ;)_


	7. I am a human being

**Skinning the Beast**

* * *

 **Review replies posted at bottom! :)**

 _I hope you guys are ready... because here it comes! We finally get to see what we've all be waiting for. :)  
_

 _Also, I have been so happy to hear so many people love the story! You guys are wonderful and I am always grateful to hear from everyone! Feel free to ask questions or voice concerns. I won't give spoilers, but I will try to explain anything you guys want to know.  
Thank you again, I am super glad to have so many people already taken with this story. I will always try to respond to any reviews I get, if I miss yours please feel free to submit another review or PM me and mention it. I will never skip a review intentionally.  
I hope you enjoy this special extra long chapter, it is 7,000+ words long ;)_

* * *

 **Six Months later...**

She was sore, always sore. Her body ached, her neck a colorful mess of damage caused by the device in her neck. They had not killed her yet though it often felt like this was their plan each time. Perhaps they were just as frustrated as her, perhaps they did figure something out and she just did not know. Anything was plausible, she had heard and understood very little outside her glimpses outside her cell.

Nothing was easy as the first four weeks anymore. Along with the death of two more of the aliens came Drake's desperation to force a bond. He could, and did, make the bond happen with her and other subjects, but no matter how hard he tried the bond never stuck. He attributed the failure of other victims as their not being physically good enough. He attributed any failure to bond with her as entirely, unarguably her fault. This made for complicated and often painful repercussions even when the bond failed without her breaking it herself.

While he insisted there was no punishment in the lab, that it was all a quest for knowledge and anything seeming like torture was unintentional - no one believed it. He did rarely lose his composure, most frequently in regards to her tests. Other subjects disappointed him, spurred him to work harder. Experiments with her made him react... differently.

At first he would be annoyed though he would not show it. She saw a few tiny, almost unnoticeable twitches from him that expressed his discontent. It was few and far between, but they were there. The early days were so simple it was bordering on the pathetic.

Mutants were the subject to torturous experiments since the first mutants were discovered. Even today there were underground organizations, illegal government experimentation, and even subjugation from other mutants looking to benefit from other's power. All of these examples had put her on edge every day. She lived in paranoia and the moment she gave it a break... here she rested, a cell in Life Foundation's presumably secret lab studying a likely illegal specimen brought back from space.

She wanted to be fair to herself, to others that fall into this trap. It was completely obvious to any authority to see. Had a single person investigated disappearing homeless people they would be immediately lead to the Life Foundation. From their comfort during research it never looked like anyone was worried about it. She assumed no one was looking into this, into disappearances of the homeless. An entirely cynical view considering the amount of law enforcement she used to see in New York more willing to investigate crimes against the homeless rather than crimes against mutants.

 _The mutant homeless._ She shook her head, pulling the sheet up around her shoulders. _A conflicting position to be in, so much power, none of it being used._ Mostly directed to herself, regarding shapeshifting she could technically live as anyone in the world. If she were to imitate a wealthy person for a while she could get away with it. Tracking her down intentionally was next to impossible unless she made herself known.

In this case she had not considered the Life Foundation would be the bad guys; a company focused heavily on the betterment of mankind by way of medical advancement and space travel. In her history eccentrics that were engaging in aggressively illegal experimentation on humans were private organizations with a directive in mind and a clientele filled with John and Jane Does. Tracking the clients down was harder than actually finding the company supplying them. Mutants were a popular target, but the victims could extend to almost anyone.

Life Foundation's experiment subjects were all human except her. She was their golden goose, that's what Drake thought anyways. She had something no one else had, could do things no one else here could do, and he had her caged. At times she wondered if he realized his 'cage' would never keep her in - the device did. Everything around her was flimsy junk that would never survive a rampage.

If it were not for the shock device in her neck.

Drake pushed her buttons for certain, she hated the man with a violent passion. She did not know if the device in her neck would ever wear down, he had mentioned it was made on a short time frame. She wondered how durable it really was and, if it was fragile, would they replace it when it showed deterioration? Being knocked out again was not something she looked forward to.

She sat staring at the people working outside her cell, other people going through the tests before she did. Most days she was not tested on at all, she had to wait until they had something new to try on her. Combinations of paralyzing electrocution, bonding the alien, at times drugs that disrupted her awareness. Like Drake said _any torture is unintentional_. She rolled her eyes, _Tell that to my neck._

On her neck coming from the device piercing in her neck were black veins, delicate paths of electricity burns that had taken far too much abuse. Her neck burned, but so did most of her body every day. Rejecting a forced attempt to bond by an alien creature was not a simple or painless task. She had to push back harder, show her strength each time. When given the chance she absolutely flexed on Drake showing that she was still strong enough to resist.

She got under his skin and she knew it. He knew she knew it. He hated it and it amused her. Granted he had the upper hand, he could have her killed by simply overloading the device in her neck and holding the button. While she resisted an alien bond, he resisted cutting her off entirely. He wanted to make some progress and, through some tests with her, he did find out some small pieces of information. It was not enough to keep the creatures alive, but it was enough to convince him to keep her around.

A fact he never shared was the aliens they used to bond with her were always the same ones. Save for the ones that died. They had many more of the aliens than she ever got to see. Drake wanted to reuse the creatures with her, hoping that their familiarity with her physiology would help aid the next bonding attempt. One of the creatures she had imitated death with never tried to bond with her again.

That meant every test she was a part of afterwards were only conducted after extensive research by the team. She was where the experiments when everyone else either failed or they had something new to try. Theories were thrown around like kids passing notes in class, it was mostly nonsense with the rare case of something worth sharing. They tested, they failed, not a single successful case so far.

While the aliens bonded with a number of other test subjects, they always died either after the bond was established or a few days later. So far she had been the only subject capable of bonding and surviving with the bond and after rejecting it. They wanted to keep that up so they did what they could, though from her perspective everything they did to preserve the little they had so far was pointless. Nothing they did changed the test, it was always her rejecting it. A few times the creature started to bond and simply turned her down.

She was a little insulted.

They tested on a new subject today, it went loudly which meant it went badly. They had been narrowing down on what their requirements for approval were now, limiting to certain people with certain traits that showed promise with the alien bonding. It was not as simple as finding the healthiest, strongest, or physically fit subject. They showed considerable promise with those in need of help.

It was part of the reason why experimentation with her went from keeping her biologically stable to bordering on prisoner torture at times. Bonding went better if the potential host was struggling. It could be struggling against pain, illness, disability, disease, and even addictions. The homeless desperate to sign up for pay were perfect candidates. Some suffered from undiagnosed illnesses and others fighting off addictions that ruined their lives and health. So the more physically capable the subject, the less likely the bond was to even take hold.

For her tests they combined this knowledge with what they learned from her mutation. Physical stimuli, specifically painful stimuli, would assist the alien bonding with anyone including her. However, this could only be combined in limited ways. Electricity was her Achilles heel and worked effectively with the alien as it so far had proven immune. Other sources included simple brute force using their guards to beat her down had proven effective as well. The more they put her down, the better the test went.

Their limitation was discovered when they realized causing her too much injury made any bonding impossible. Something cut it off. If she was unconscious, incapacitated, or under medically induced paralysis than the alien could not even begin to bond to her. It would try and, within seconds, discover the host was inhibited and retreat.

They attempted starving her, dehydration, or keeping her awake for over two days. She was weaker in those cases, unable to reject the bond effectively, but the weakness of a host also made the alien reject her. The host had to be physically capable yet in need. That need could be medical or not, but the host could not be debilitated to that degree. So they played a balancing game.

She was returned to a regular diet, with clean water, and all the sleep she could ever need. Then, when testing would begin, they would pull no punches. Beatings, electrocution, and medically injected toxins would all contribute to the injury needed to aid the bonding process. In these tests the alien would accept the host, bond to her, and could remain for an indeterminate amount of time.

It was indeterminate due to her resilience. To avoid harming the creature bonding to her, they had to stop the torture. Once she was given any chance she would reject the creature either physically or internally. Her ability to creatively eject this creature from her anatomy was definitely a thing to behold and often considerably violent. The creature would either retreat, search for a new host, or in rare cases it would die.

This hindered all progress and forced them to find a way to stop her from destroying their progress. Each attempt to get her to stop was met with extreme rebelliousness. She would go above and beyond to make any bond a failure. Drake was pissed, the researchers were frustrated, the guards had enough of her, and she found the entire situation hilarious. Spitefully so, but they knew that.

As the day turned to night, she saw the lights going off one by one. The main area light switched off with a loud _click_ and the door shut. It sounded like a heavy door, but she never saw it. Likely it was the same as the door she was pushed into before, a massive vault-like door. More lights shut down, a guard made his rounds and checked every door, every cell, every examining room. She saw his flashlight passing her cell, he tested the cell door to ensure it was secure before moving on.

Two guards were tasked with securing the lab, but the researchers were tasked with securing the computers with sensitive data. It took a good hour or so to have it all done, for the guards to leave, and she would sit under the faint light of LEDs that edged the walls with low intensity lighting. It was soft enough to sleep, bright enough to help her move to her private restroom.

She placed her feet on the floor, pulling the well insulated thin quilt with her. A hand raised to the device in her neck, it was painful now, it hurt to fiddle with. A bad habit she picked up in her months sitting around staring at endless white walls and glass doors. Now she kept having to tell herself to stop, to let it heal as much as it could before the next time they used it against her.

Sitting in the dark, pressing her bare feet to the cold floor. Everything was so clean, she was clean, the floor was regularly sterilized. She actually preferred at least the dirt of the streets, maybe a little less than an alley but anything was better than here.

She could just barely hear other subjects in their respective cells. A few were likely sleeping, others were crying in their despair. She felt for them, she truly did, but she was not in the position to help them. No night was ever any different, the new subjects dragged in were always the loudest for the first few hours. Communicating was not possible with the cells in their layout. She could only hear them faintly or when they hit the glass to their cell, talking was a challenge at best.

Staying at least somewhat disassociated helped when they died. Each one she had seen brought in for tests did not walk out. No one stayed for more than a week if they were lucky enough to survive their tests.

She was the only long term subject they had and she only got away with it because of her X-Gene. Not truly a comfort.

Sufficiently tired and bored, she laid back down in her cot and drifted to sleep. The faint hum of the vents and the machines outside her cell provided enough white noise to help sleeping in the cells where privacy was not a real option. The only place she remained out of sight was the restroom and she knew not a lot of the other subjects had their own. She was unique, she was there for months - they gave her basic needs to survive.

Unfair to the others? Definitely. She could not change that just as she could not change their rather painful deaths when the alien bond failed. With the device in her neck no matter how hard she pushed, she would not be able to fight to render any aid worthwhile. Electricity was damning, her biology unable to support the overload. Her body was already a complicated mess she had designed herself and a weakness to electricity was something she had never been able to fix.

She lessened the severity for sure, making each body better than the last. One body could be capable of immunity to it, or at least only as weak to electricity as the average person. _Could be._ The work to design the body had never gone to plan, each trial to create it failed to insulate her from an electric current. A long time ago she used to have such a weakness that an electric fence to keep livestock safe would put her in the hospital.

Over time she built against that. Only partial progress was made. She was more resilient, but immunity seemed like a pipe dream. She was glad that electricity could not so easily put her in a coma anymore and that she could live her life without that fear. No matter how much she put into it, even the work of others that had greater knowledge could not fix it entirely. It was better - it was not ideal.

She rested well at night despite the long torturous days. Tonight though, her rest was interrupted. She had pretty good hearing overall, above average she would say. Though it was the abnormal noise she heard in the middle of the night.

Her ear twitched slightly, her face dropped in suspicion. She heard something, it was faint, yet it was real. The heavily clunk of the lab's door unlocking hit her ears. The lab's main entrance was opening, someone wanted in. On rare occasions people would return late at night. Some work that needed to be finished before morning, returning to pick up the car keys left on the desk. Usually that would occur before the guards lock up to prevent security issues. If someone had to remain working after hours the guard would wait to lock up after they left.

There was never a case where someone was allowed in so late after the guard secured the lab. This never happened before and she was interested to find out what made tonight an exception.

Curious, she slid out of her bed and approached the glass cautiously. The lights were still off, she could hear something but it was too faint to make out properly. She looked around, nothing had changed, but someone was here. Footsteps down the room, echoing in the emptiness of the lab. A concern raised that Drake planned a purge of subjects? _Why would he do that, he'd lose everything._ She shook her head, still trying to spy whoever was roaming around. _Is Drake here himself? A guard doing another round? Why wouldn't they turn on the lights?_

Her mind whirring with questions, she watched and waited.

The footsteps were not hurried, but they were quiet. As if the person was trying not to make noise, a few sounds she could not make out. Some metal tray being fiddled with, something being moved, a glass door being opened. Nothing distinct, just regular daily noises in the lab.

Then the intruder got closer, close enough that she caught a glimpse of them. Slight movement down to the far right of her cell, just behind a wall. They were not in a lab coat, the clothes were too dark.

 _This isn't a Life employee... Someone broke in?_ She was astounded. The level of security this building had was top tier, nothing was getting in without clearance. Something was happening just out of her sight and she could just hear the person coming closer.

She had to know, she had to try.

Her hit the glass wall of her cell with the palm of her hand, banging on it just enough to be heard. "Hey! Who's there?" She had to speak loudly to be heard. It was still muffled, she wondered if the person heard her. She pounded on the glass harder, "Hey you, I saw you! Who are you?" The footsteps stopped and silence filled the air. Waiting on the next move she hoped she was not talking to a Life employee who was ignoring her.

Trying to peer around the corner, she hit the glass with both hands. "Down here, cell at the end of the row. Come here!"

Slowly the footsteps neared her, just barely out of sight. They were loud enough to echo in her head now, her desperate hope clinging on the edge. She hoped and begged this to be someone from the outside. Specifically a person who could get a message out so she and the others could finally be free of Drake's little lab of horrors. Then, the person spoke. "Hello...?"

Their voice low, almost inaudible. Relief struck her, "Hey, hi. You're not a Life employee, right?"

The person stepped into view, revealing themselves to be anything but a Life employee. He was in a leather jacket, some old tattered clothes, definitely not something meant for one of the researchers or a guard. Then she saw his face. "You!" She smiled, "Holy shit, it's you."

He nodded, having difficulty recalling her. Paused for just a moment, he faced the cell before looking around to check for guards. "Yeah, uh, it's me. You know me?" He asked a bit confused. This woman, locked in a Life Foundation secret lab, recognized him. A little strange, but he was not one to complain.

She chuckled, "I missed the meeting, you said you'd take me out to for something to eat and if I needed to reschedule or something happened... I'd call you. I'm afraid I don't have the money anymore or a way to call you. Sorry I stood you up." Watching him realize who she was had been entertaining. As much as she wanted to reminisce she knew that he could not stay for long.

"You're- That-" He took a breath and neared the glass. "That was almost... no, that was eight months ago. It's been almost a year and you- you've been here all along?" This revelation was a shock to him. A long time ago he asked a favor and a long time ago he returned to see her again. No one was there, no one had seen her, and no one knew where she went.

"Yeah, that's me. Life Foundation offered a deal; sign up, get paid. I took it like a day later and they knocked me out. When I woke up, I was here." She gestured to the lab around them. Shaking her head, she returned with urgency. "You have to tell someone, get a message out. They're killing everyone here. People don't last long, they take in everyone and they all die. And they don't die quickly. Drake is fucking insane."

He pulled up his phone, hitting something on the screen and turned the flashlight on. "We need to get you out of here. Is there a way to open this door? I mean, it's glass right? Can't be that hard to open." He looked around the door, trying to find anything. He spotted the panel beside her cell and eyed it a moment. It had a slot for a key card, nothing else. "How do I open this?" Hoping she had anything useful to give him, he looked back up to her.

"No, you can't let me out. You open this door without the key and it will set off the alarms. You have to leave without being seen. Take pictures, take videos, but I need you to tell someone in specific." Releasing her would not be a simple task. Her cell was similar to the others but the key card was only kept on a few individuals. Drake being one, the others belonging to the heads of research in the lab.

Denying this, he waved it off. "I can do that _after_ I get you out. Can't leave you in here, they could kill you. They're probably gonna kill you if they see this all over the news."

She hit the glass to interrupt him, "You can't get me out, it's not going to happen so listen to me."

He pointed at her as he stepped backwards. "Never say never."

Her eyes narrowed and threw her hands up sarcastically. "But... I didn't-" Her eyes flicked to the side, furiously confused and surprised at how incorrect he was. "I didn't say never." Watching him leave to find something she hit the glass again. "No, wait, no! Come back! Fuck!"

He was already searching for a way to open the door. The desks around the cells were a good start in his mind, believing a key card must be laying around somewhere in the lab. She knew that was not going to happen, they would not leave access to her cell without heavily guard. It just was not going to happen. So he dug around having thoroughly ignored her protests to be a hero.

Though his determination to save her was annoying her right now, it was also endearing. She appreciated the thought, the want to free her, but it was not possible without attracting every guard in the building. That would mean he would never leave this building and he would never get an emergency message out. They would both be stuck and he'd become a test subject. Not fun for anyone.

"Listen, you can't open the cell. It doesn't matter if they try to cover up the lab, with visual evidence you can make any cover up fail." She tried to convince him to return to her, "It's enough that you managed to get in here. The security is crazy and you won't likely be able to do it again. So take the opportunity to get everyone free and listen to me."

He looked towards her before shaking his head, "No no, you've been here for months. You said people don't last long and you did. What if you die this morning, this afternoon. I can't guarantee they don't raid this place before then. I can get you out. We'll get out of here and tell everyone." Fervently he searched the office space, opening every unlocked drawer and cabinet. "Imagine you were with me when we go to every news outlet in San Francisco. Someone with actual experience. Even if big shot Carlton Drake denies it he can't get away from all this-" He pointed to his phone, " _-_ and you too. It'll blow up. Everyone will know... know what he really is."

"I don't care about what the world thinks about Drake, I care about being dead and stopping other people from being dead." She insisted, watching the lab as he dug through the desks.

He saw a desk attached to the floor, all monitors off, but a print on the desk _E-104._ He turned around to see her in her cell, looking at the number print on the side of the cell. _E-102._ Figuring out the code he searched around for the correct desk. It was not a desk though, it was a console with locked drawers. The E-102 console was entirely under wraps. Intrigued by this he tried to find some way to break into it.

She sighed, tapping her head against the glass. "Come on, you don't have long. You can't stay here."

Looking around the other desks near E-102's he spotted a file resting on E-103. A manila folder with a large red stamp on the center. _CONFIDENTIAL E-102_. Flipping it open he saw a few loose papers with x-ray prints, some pages of text he did not have the time to read or the ability to understand. "Oh yeah? When's the next guard pass by?" He did not turn his head away from the folder, the pages had a lot of information he bet was another source of solid evidence.

"No one comes here after dark. When morning rolls around the scientists return and we all go through experiments until they're done." She explained, seeing him continue this hectic hunt for a key that was most certainly not in the lab. "There's nothing there. Everyone has key cards on them, but they do not keep them here. You cannot get this door open."

She waited, trying to be patient. His search was eating away at her knowing that he couldn't free her here, he needed to leave with what he had. They were both in a bad position if either one was caught. He would never be seen again and she liked him, he was nice; his murder would be terrible. Here he was in this extremely dangerous place, risking his life to save others and expose the person doing this. She commended his bravery, but wanted him to leave safely.

A few things dropped to the floor in his haste. He began to realize she was correct and there was nothing here to unlock her cell. Seeing him struggle with this, she offered solace. "It's okay, I don't mind. I just want you to get out without being caught. That's the most important thing right now. If you don't you will be killed. Drake will have you killed."

He looked up, "Oh I'm sure he'd love that." He chuckled, some underneath sting there she did not catch.

Accepting that finding a key was not realistic, he returned to her cell with a nervous twitch. He seemed genuinely disturbed he had no way to free her. He was always a good person, she did not want him to feel guilty because Drake made his security so tight. "I am so relieved you're here, you can help everyone here. Don't worry about trying to-"

He stepped to the side and grabbed something from beside the cell. Her brow furrowed and she fell silent, wondering what he was unto. She heard a short metal scratch before he returned to the cell front. In his hands was a metal chair the guards would use when watching her cell during the day if she had tests to be conducted. Her brain caught up slowly until she realized what was going on. "Uh, wha- wait, are you seriously-?"

Raising the chair up he took a step back. He was going to try and break the glass.

"No! It'll set off-" _BANG_! He hit the glass and she jumped backwards. A mark on the glass scratched deep left a sign to anyone that something happened. He did not stop there, he reeled back again. She could not stop him, convincing him didn't even slow him down.

He brought the chair down again with a loud _BANG._ A crack formed to her surprise. He was actually breaking the glass even though the alarms would go off the moment it broke. She was certain and she couldn't stop him.

Another hard hit and the glass cracked it wide. Shards fell to the ground and a red light flashed overhead. _SECURITY BREACH!_ He flinched after hearing the loud alarm. "Step back!" He yelled over the screeching sound of the security alarms. She did as he said, not interested in being cut up by glass. She backed up, watching him pull far back to hit it with all the strength he could manage.

With the best roar he could manage he hit the glass hard. The chair pierced the broken glass, shattering it. The glass shards rained down to the ground, the wall coming down in sections. She was a bit surprised he actually did break it, but the loud speaker announcing his unwelcome presence. She looked up to him and he reached a hand out to her. "Come on, let's go!" She raised her hand and he grabbed it, pulling her along.

As her bare feet stepped over the broken glass shards she hissed in pain, feeling glass shred the bottom of her feet. She hopped for a moment, her footsteps sounded wet. Looking behind her she spotted bloody footprints she left behind. There was glass in her feet, it hurt with every step, but he was trying to rescue her while endangering himself. While she might not be able to escape for long, touching the device on her neck again, she needed to make sure he did.

He ran back towards the door he entered through, pulling her along with him. She was thankful to be doing anything except sitting in a cell regardless of the consequences she might experience later.

Running down the hall, they were interrupted by a loud bang on the glass beside them. The same way she hit the glass in her cell only a lot louder with urgency. The banging continued and they slowed down, pausing in front of the imprisoned person in question.

She saw the woman hitting the glass. Long messy black hair, clothing like the other subjects, but her cell was incredibly small. Something was wrong with this image and she did not know what. When they approached the woman banging on the glass, the man escaping responded in shock. "Maria?"

"Eddie! Eddie, let me out!" She screamed and begged, banging on the glass. They knew each other, but this woman was losing her mind. She was crying and howling to be released, pleading with him. "Please, please! Let me out! Eddie, let me out!" He turned to the panel, trying to hit anything to open the door. Her nailed screeched on the glass, her other hand hitting the door harder and harder.

Anxious, he spun on his heel trying to find something to help her.

She watched the woman scream and throw this disturbing fit. It was not normal to say the least. "I don't think she's all there... Maybe you shouldn't try to let her out." Her tone was low, knowing she was just freed herself. She did not want this poor woman to stay locked up and yet something told her this was not right. This woman was completely out of control.

Uninterested, he came back with a fire extinguisher attached to the wall beside her cell. "Hold on!"

"I seriously think something is wrong here!" She tried to urge him to listen to this woman, hear the inhuman crying. It was absolutely not normal and he refused to listen. _He has a problem with listening..._ "We need to go! Now! They are coming and we're going to be trapped if we don't leave!" She yelled over the alarms that kept announcing the security breach. _Fucking altruistic ass!_ She was grateful for him, she just knew they were in the worst position. It was shoot first here at the Life Foundation's lab.

He hit it hard enough to crack the glass, "I'm not leaving her!" The wall began to chip away, crumbling as the extinguisher crushed through the weak point. More glass fell to the floor making a lot of noise for the guards to follow.

From the room came a plume of hot steam, blinding them the moment the air was allowed to escape. He dropped the extinguisher and searched for the suddenly quiet woman. "Maria? Maria!" He waved away the steam, acclimating to the heat as he stepped over the glass.

With a screech the woman jumped onto him, clasping her hands around his throat. She forced him back, sliding on the floor below. Taken by surprise he tried to wrap his head around this once quiet and sweet homeless woman to the woman straddling him and strangling him now. He pushed back, but he was scared of harming the woman he just tried to save.

Shocked as well, the mutant snapped into action. She grabbed the woman by her shoulders and pulled, trying to wrench this woman from their rescuer. They were almost out of time, she heard the door unlocking not too far from them. There were other entrances they just had to be smart about it. The manic woman did not released him, her strength far greater than an average woman from her background. She was a beast, her muscles taut and unwavering. Even the larger man on the ground could not push her away.

With a howling scream of pain and what they assumed was a mental break, the woman shuddered before going limp. Feeling the dead weight, she shoved the woman off her rescuer and the body hit the floor with a heavy thud, not a single twitch. She was either unconscious or dead, either way they could not help her now. He coughed and coughed, terrified by the kind woman from the sidewalk turned so crazy.

"Maria? Oh no, Maria?" He pushed himself off the floor. It was too difficult to tell what was going on. The flashing red lights, the alarm screaming in their ears. This woman seemed dead and for that she empathized with him. "Oh shit." He scrambled to his feet, accepting her offered hand.

"We have to go, we can't help her." She saw light from the door - the guards were in the room now. "We need to go now!" He heavily agreed after seeing Maria.

They took off back down the row of cells where her cell was, taking a turn before the end of the room to see a heavy reinforced single door that lead out of the lab. She had seen guards use it plenty of times, it was only the main entrance she had not seen before. This side door worked as an effective service entrance that was used more often than the main security door.

She was thankful too, they really needed a backdoor right about now.

He swung the door open and it lead to another white hallway. Nothing much in it, only more white doors and painfully bright white lights. It gave the feeling that everything in the building was sterilized once, twice, and third time's the charm. It was painful and smelled like cleaning products - she never thought she'd be so happy to smell so much chemical product.

Taking her by the hand again, he pulled her down the hallway only to be met by two security guards. They did not look the same as the rest of the building, these men wore standard security attire for the main facility. The men charged and so did they, apparently. She was very unprepared for him being willing to fight.

"Freeze!" One went for a pistol in its holster just as they neared them. Releasing her hand, her rescuer braced his feet on the wall and kicked off, shoving the first guard into the wall and knocking him out. Using his momentum he slid on the floor and tripped the next guard who smacked face first onto the tiled floor. He looked back, eyes wide, and saw her pause.

There was a crack in the wall - he kicked off hard enough to leave a crack in solid stone. She stared at the damage a moment before he retrieved her, dragging her along with him once again. "Come on, come on!" They took off down the hall just as more guards entered the hall, guns raised to them. Blindsided was one way of describing how she felt seeing him fight so fluidly. She had no idea he was capable.

Jumping down a short few steps the two neared a security door with a small window, clearly lit with early morning light. _Outside._ She stared with wide eyes, _Almost back outside._ Somewhere she wondered if she would ever be able to escape before being electrocuted to death. Most of her head said she would get out, eventually. There was always that inkling of doubt no matter how much she ignored it.

Seeing the door was locked, he reeled back once more and kicked the door right off the hinges. It hung on only by the automated device that made sure the door could not be slammed. He stepped around it and she followed, once more struck with amazement at his feat of strength. That door was not a _kickable_ door. He had enough strength to crush it.

That was inhuman.

Looking at both directions he saw the right was a driveway that lead to a large number of angry guards with guns. He grabbed her shoulder and shoved her ahead towards the metal gate that stood about twenty feet tall. It was metal bars all the way around, encompassing the entire complex. Climbing it would take too long, the bars were too tight to squeeze through, they had to find another way.

That is what she thought rationally anyways. Right before he grabbed onto her, holding onto her as he jumped at the gate. Her mind was blank at this point, she did not know if he was trying to rescue her or kill her. Yet they hit the gate and it tore open a hole, the two thrown tumbling to the ground on the far side. She rolled down the hill, taking deep breaths to try and calm her nerves.

This man just kicked two guards down in the hall, broke a door off its hinges, and launched them through a gate made entirely of metal bars. She did not know where to begin.

Shaking her head of leaves and grass, she looked up to see the guards running to the gate. Jumping up she felt him grab onto her upper arm, getting her to run with him. They took off into the woods, wet soil and leaves crunching under their feet. It was cold and wet out, telling her it had rained recently. She loved the smell, running in the woods felt brisk and natural. She loved it and would be able to enjoy it if people were not chasing them.

Keeping pace with him was not hard, she was quite fast. Keeping away from the bullets flying around was equally as challenging for the fleeing pair.

Guards chased behind them and they were fit too. While they ran together, they had to duck and weave through the trees and bushes. Space was beginning to separate them and they had no time to stick together - they had to focus on getting away above all else. So they ran, sweat pouring, branches scraping them, and their hearts pounding they ran as far as they could.

She vaulted over a fallen log or two, using any trees she passed to help push off when she lost speed. She had run in the woods from people before, she knew how to keep moving. Coming to a gap in the forest she spotted a vehicle racing down the dirt path, tossing up mud and grass as it tore apart the ground underneath. She crossed the path before it reached her and checking to see her partner in crime he had done the same. He was going hard and she wished she could help. Her best bet was not to shapeshift with people chasing them; she was banking on them not knowing it was her who escaped. Just so they would not be tempted to electrocute the device in her neck.

Once they realized it though she would be in trouble. All she had to do was help him though. When he was out of danger, she did not much care about the aftermath.

She heard yelling, guards barking out their location to close in on them both. Gunfire pierced the tree bark around her, sending wood chips all around her. She had no way to stop the bullets, she just had to keep running and hoping she didn't get shot. Her feet hurt exponentially now. They were cut with glass, shards still digging into her flesh and limiting her stride as she flinched from the pain. Dirt and grit rubbed into the wounds, causing them to sting terribly. Yet she pushed on, she had to; there was no time to stop.

The sound of buggy's revved behind them, the engines roaring as they cut through the paths around the forest. She wondered how many there were because she heard a lot more noise than just one running around. Other guards on the ground kept up while the vehicles tried to circle around to cut them off. She had a difficult time hearing over her heart pounding in her chest, but she made out a distinctly painful noise from her rescuer.

He ran straight into a fallen tree, the wood having cracked from the force. Astoundingly so, people could not simply break tree trunks in half with their bodies. She slowed down to help him, she could not let him fall behind. She ran to him as he stood up, though that did not seem like standing up to her. Taking a fistful of his jacket she pulled him along. "Keep running! Go!" He adhered to the command happily, taking off with her again.

The two came up to another dirt path, this one wider than the last just as the forest was thinning out. A vehicle was approaching from the end, the headlights shining as it raced towards them. Another from the other direction and guards beginning to surround them. They were both panting heavily, their lungs burning. She had no idea how to get out of this without shapeshifting, which they would just shock her and it would be useless. He would be captured alongside her and she had nothing to stop that.

Without a word he wrapped his arms around her waist. A little off put by the sudden grab, she searched his face for an explanation. Before she was able to question him, he began to climb the tree behind them. A massive tree that was, a deep forest tree that had been there a long time. She held onto him tightly, trying to make sense of whatever was going on with him. He was superhuman strong and now he just scaled a tree faster than she had time to comprehend.

There they stayed at the top, their arms and legs a pretzel of limbs clinging to the tree for dear life. They were on both sides, using each other to grasp the tree between them.

Below they could just make out the guards looking around, unable to track where they went. They lost sight and began to search the forest on foot. It was a relief to see the people spreading out away from the base of the tree, signaling that this tree climbing escape had worked for now. So long as they did not search with a helicopter.

She shifted slightly, getting a better grip on his clothes. Her hand was under his arm, fist wrapped around his thick jacket. They looked at each other, their eyes wide with slack jaw expressions. Breathing heavily and shining with sweat, she smiled nervously.

"I think we got away."

* * *

 _ **Antex-The Legendary Zoroark:**_

 _Haha yeah she's super stubborn. She's the kind of person that seems quiet on the outside, but if she saw her enemy dying of dehydration in the desert she would drink water in front of them.  
I hope you're still enjoying the story, this is a long chapter compared to the previous ones lol  
Anytime! I'm happy to answer any questions and listen to critiques of my story! :)_

 ** _xxxRena:_**

 _She's got the short end of the stick often, but she's pretty good at going with the flow so far. Though her personality is pretty abrasive when pissed off. Your hope is answered. After eight months of confinement she is now free, at least, somewhat anyways haha  
Hope you enjoyed this extra long chapter!_

 ** _Fk306:_**

 _Thanks! I'm always happy to hear people are enjoying my stories! :)_

 ** _ArtasticSarcastic01:_**

 _You got it! ;)  
Hope you like it!_

 ** _BluAsh54:_**

 _Thank you, I'm super happy you like it! I hope you like this chapter!_

 ** _Vertigo Venom:_**

 _I'm glad it's caught your attention. She had to undergo eight months before Eddie showed up. Unfortunately a long long time, but she's out now so she can finally take a breath of relief. Though the device in her neck is still there, so that might be a problem! :x  
I hope you enjoy this extra long chapter! :)_


	8. Feed the Beast

**Skinning the Beast**

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 **Review replies posted at bottom of story.**

 _Oh my gosh, so much love for this story. Review replies are still at the end of the chapter, but I wanted to preface this chapter by thanking you all for your wonderful encouragement. I hope it continues to please you guys and always feel free to ask questions, voice concerns, or suggest new things for the story._  
 _Thank you again! I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's another long one! :)_

* * *

They shambled down the hall, exhausted after coming down from the adrenaline rush. They ran for their lives, escaped a top of the line secure facility, and managed to make it away without any serious injury. Luck was on their side and his strength played a major part of this luck. He did not seem acclimated to that strength either, his condition seemed... odd.

He was exhausted and she was too. Likely the reason he looked so ill was due to the stress of last night.

He pulled out his cell, scrolling through the contacts. She stayed quiet, following him to what she assumed was his apartment. Maybe not the best place to be if they figure out who he is. Life Foundation had cameras all over, they will have had a clear image of him. Since he is a journalist finding his identity would not slow Drake's people down. They without a doubt knew she was gone now and that their other subject is dead. So much happened in so little time.

Within an hour he arrived into the lab, broke her cell, broke the other woman out, the woman died, and then they escaped the guards. Like anytime in her life where she had to fight or escape a bad situation everything felt like it took hours when in reality it took maybe thirty minutes. Time moved slower during emergencies, the brain created more information during these periods of high stress. It felt like her day was over, but she had only woken up about three hours ago, most of that time spent sneaking out of the forest with her rescuer and hiking all the way out of sight. He called a cab back to town for them and without a word he took her with him.

It was generous to allow her to go home with him, a rather risky act since he did not know the extent of her involvement at Drake's lab. She could have a tracking device, she could be a danger like that other woman, or they could hunt for her. She would be suspicious no matter if she saved them or not.

While he held his cell up to his ear he fiddled with his keys, leaning against the door for support. A key fit into the door and he swung it open. "Skirth, yeah, it's me. I just got back." He backed up into the apartment, waving her in. She was more than happy to join him. He shut and locked the door behind her, spinning around and walking passed her. "Are you alright? I haven't heard from you so I wanna know if you're alright. But yeah, that was a great call on the lab. You're absolutely right." He threw open the fridge door bringing out a few bottles of beer.

The clinked together as he set them on the kitchen island, sliding one towards her. "Listen, I got one of the people out of the lab. I got a guy, I'm gonna take her to him and a bunch of photographs, he'll publish them. But I need you to come with me. Can you just call me? Call me back." He poured himself a glass of water, chugging it down like a frat boy swallowing straight from a keg. It was impressive if he didn't look so terrible.

Then something seemed to happen, he doubled over using the counter and island to support him. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt back there?" She approached him, hesitantly offering a hand to sooth him. He seemed very disturbed. While some people dealt with trauma by sitting in denial for a while, crying their eyes out for hours, or just doing something they find comforting - this man was acting very strange. "You need to sit down, deal with what happened." Her hand touched his shoulder so gently, like she was worried he was having a freak out.

"No, no, no-" He straightened back up, a hand over his abdomen. "I- uh, I'm hungry. Are you hungry? I could eat. I really need to eat something." He passed her by, going back to the fridge and popping the freezer open. With a particular viciousness she had only seen in some feral mutants she knew he threw a bag of frozen tater tots out, ripped it wide open ignoring the few that fell to the floor, and then _chugged_ frozen tater tots.

She reeled back a tad bit disgusted. Those were uncooked and they likely tasted like... She shivered, "That's enough, you need to cook those." She grabbed the the almost empty bag from his hands. "What are you doing?" The behavior was erratic and bordering on insane.

He nodded, he understood but he didn't care. Something drove him and she was fighting against an invisible enemy. He let her take the frozen bag which she proceeded to try and clean up, leaving him for just a second. With her back turned he dove for the trash can, smelling a food far more filling than frozen tater tots. She heard him move away, saw him drop to his knees, and pick the bones of a chicken carcass thrown in the trash.

"What the- Don't eat that!" She lunged for him, grabbing an arm and pulling him back. He resisted for a moment before dropping the chicken onto the floor, stumbling back as she pulled him. He knocked over the trash sending dead food and recycling all over the floor. "Fuck, fuck! What are you doing? Are you insane? You can get sick and die from that. Why the hell would you eat a rotted chicken carcass from the trash!?"

She shoved him away from the trash and he fell backwards onto the floor. There was a moment where they were both frozen, waiting for something to explain what was going on. She knew this could was not normal behavior even for a person who was experiencing a mental break. He was not having mental issues, he was scared for his life at one point, but this was so entirely different she did not know how to respond.

He was sitting on the floor, his gaze looked up to her and she saw this sick man in need of help. He was sweating profusely, he felt hot, and looked like he was drugged by something. She was holding onto his arms, trying to get him to stop eating inedible food. He realized what she had said and glanced back to the trash now dropped all over the floor. From the trash can was the chicken bones, the dead meat filled with bacteria. He started to pale, "Oh man, I ate..." His words trailed off before he stumbled to his feet and bolted out of the kitchen.

Slamming the bathroom door open he dropped to his knees on front of the toilet, retching up the filth he had just stuffed his face with. She followed behind him, trying to help him stop this sickness. She waited at the door, allowing him a moment of privacy knowing he would likely feel heinously embarrassed being seen eating garbage. Leaning against the wall outside the restroom she waited.

His retching stopped fairly quickly, she heard him gasping loudly. His shoes tapped on the tile told her he was standing up and she heard running water from the sink. _Good, he's trying to get that nasty trash out of his body._ She gagged at the very idea of doing what she just saw him do. While she could shift into animals, including animals that eat garbage regularly, she did not partake of it just because she took the form. He committed fully do, the man having downed most of a frozen tater tot bag and a good chunk out of the rotten carcass.

From the bathroom she heard him brushing his teeth vigorously, scrubbing away at the possible disease he likely just swallowed. The brushing went on for a while, he wanted to never taste what he just tasted again. She agreed with that sentiment. What he did was nasty, she had never seen someone do that before no matter how feral they went. That was too far.

As the brushing continued she heard a distinct scream from the bathroom. Something scared him and she reacted before she knew what was going on. A few loud noises in the restroom after the scream and she found him sitting in the tub, shower curtain pulled down under him, completely unconscious. She peered into the restroom first, checking to see what might have caused this fright. But the room was empty, nothing reasonable could have terrified him this much. So she entered the restroom slowly, coming to stand over his defeated body.

"Hey, are you... alive?" She frowned, reaching a hand to tap his face. He did not stir, not for a moment. He was breathing though, so he just knocked himself out. "Okay, well this is going to be not fun." Hooking her arms under his she hoisted him up, grunting as she came to bear his body weight. It was not too bad really, she had carried heavy people before... only now she was out of practice, not quite as prepared to carry someone as she used to be.

Dragging him out of the bathtub, out of the restroom and into the hallway she huffed and huffed. Not quite an easy task. He was a large man, definitely built heavy. Her feet were still hurting, she needed to find some supplies to handle her own injuries. First she had to deal with her rescuer tripping over himself. It was strange how he completely lost himself when they arrived.

She hoisted him out of the tub, pulling him towards the door. She held her breath and dragged him around the corner and down the hall. Her strength challenged by the glass shards in her feet, making it hard to use her weight to pull him along. His limbs hit everything they could along the way, knocking over a floor lamp and nearly a small landing table. She tried not to make new bruises for him, but she figured he was in as bad of shape as she was. Trying to treat him as well as he had treated her.

This man wanted to uncover a story but he endangered himself to save people. It would have been much easier to have gotten in and out without having set off an alarm. He handled himself much better than she thought he would. She believed he was just a normal guy, a reporter that was respected for showing stories that targeted people responsible. Seeing the damage he caused during their escape told her he was not normal.

 _Is he a mutant?_ She released him, resting him against the foot board of his bed. Taking a moment to rest, looking over his unconscious body. He was in filthy clothes stained partially by the mud and dirt from last night. A few bits of bark embedded into his shirt. After catching her breath she threw the covers on his bed to the side and returned to him. _If he's a mutant his ability is strength? Reflexes? What did I see exactly last night..._

The door, the fence, and climbing that tree. It all happened so fast she felt like she missed so much more. He had no problem dispatching the guards in their way, not a single bullet having even grazed them. She was glad they made it out alive, but they weren't out of the woods yet. Now Drake would be looking for them and sending enough force with a plan to have them killed. Maybe he'd spare her to get her back to the lab, but they would straight up murder him. No remorse, just kill him and move on.

Bending down she wrapped her arms under his and around his chest. He smelled... She held her breath and thought about being at least somewhat respectful. But he smelled bad, quite bad, and she did not want to breath in that musk. Lifting him into the bed she pushed him to be at least partially leaning up so she could remove his jacket. The uncomfortably thick coat covered in dirt and sweat smelled no better than he did. Once the struggle to remove it was over she pulled him around to lay on the bed, head resting comfortably on a pillow.

Looking down she had to get his legs on the bed too. Crouching at his feet she lifted one leg to unlace his shoe, tugging it off him roughly before lifting the leg onto the bed and following suit with the next. Finally he was laid in the bed, most of the nasty clothes removed. She would not go further unless he was dying from a bullet wound. To leave him she covered him with his quilt and left the bedroom.

Closing the door behind her, she looked down the hallway to see the apartment a complete mess.

In the hallway was streaked blood from having dragged him over where she was stepping, the glass leaving open wounds still. The floor was covered in whatever was in the trash and water from melted ice as the freezer was left open. It looked like someone left a window open with a tornado outside.

Taking another deep sigh she set about to cleaning the mess before her. First she had to deal with her own pains. Walking into the restroom she dug through the cabinet and sink draws, trying to find a pair of tweezers. The drawers were filled with shaving products still in their packages, a few travel sizes cleaning products, and some backup deodorant sticks. Something she found he was in need of heavily right about now.

Looking under the sink was nothing but a small trash can and stored toilet paper. The bathroom had enough stuff to live, but nothing to maintain. Whatever he was buying for hygiene was not enough. She closed the drawers in disappointment, carefully leaving the bathroom and trying the kitchen drawers. She could not imagine why, but she was quite tired of the glass.

Then she paused in the middle of the room, looked back to the closed bedroom door and back to her feet.

 _I could just shed them._ To shift would mean to leave biological waste. Replacing the skin on her feet would remove all glass quite easily, no guesswork about it. It would also create a mess. There was no two ways about it, shifting was messy. She would also need the time to allow the discarded flesh to break apart. Telling him she was a mutant might change their dynamic. He was willing to help her, but many people had a heavy dislike towards mutants. Some with good, solid reason that she would not argue with. Some just because they were bigots.

She did not want to find out what this man was to her if she showed herself. He might know eventually anyways considering he is a journalist and knowing important recent events was part of his daily life. Had he paid attention at all to New York than her identity would be easily uncovered. From that point she would see what he thought about mutants and she would not mind. Everyone had their experiences with her kin, many of them were negative. Many were nightmarish.

A complicated situation, but right now she needed to decide. Shift and the glass would be removed. Don't shift and she had to remove it by hand. It was not that bad, she just needed to be careful. Any flesh she shed would eventually disintegrate into a dust like substance, it broke down without her connection to it. Her mutation altered so much of her body it was hard to claim that this form was human even if it looked and worked like a human.

It usually took a few hours for the discarded flesh to break down, then all she would have to do is clean up the dust and it would be over. However, he was knocked out in his bedroom not too far from her and could wake up at any time during this process and see it. Both situations were equally as messy with one possibly ending her companionship with the journalist.

 _Not that I've ever had to hide my mutation before._ She rolled her eyes, dropping onto the couch. _I'll be fine, it's not that bad and I don't have to do even more clean up._ She rested one foot on the opposite knee, seeing the damage done.

Long cuts all across the sole of her foot, glass shards visible to the naked eye. It was not a pretty sight, especially with the amount of dirt and questionable dirt around the wounds. She grabbed one large piece and yanked it out, twitching her foot as it stung. The shard was long and thin, having sliced from her heel to the ball of her foot. She continued to pick out larger pieces before trying to find the bits much harder to see.

She placed the foot back on the floor, unhappy with the wet blood dripping onto the wood. She still felt small stings, tiny shards she could not see and were far too small for her to find with her hands. It was enough for now though and she did the same to the other foot, noticing the small twangs of tiny glass she still felt. It was faint enough to ignore for the most part, but she would have to handle it eventually.

It did not take long to pull the glass out. She brushed it into her hands from the small coffee table and walked around the couch to see the trash can toppled over. Shaking her head she picked it up and dropped the glass in.

 _Now for the rest of... this._ She took her time, a small limp as she worked trying to avoid stepping on the tiny bits of glass in her feet. She tossed the shredded bag of frozen tater tots away, shut the freezer, and picked up the trash that had fallen out during his little... feast. She did not want to think about it, she just wanted things to be cleaner than this. He saved her and had some odd shut down afterwards, she would at least help him out with chores. _Not that chores often include cleaning up rotten food I ate out of the trash now on the floor, but whatever._

With most things back in their place she knew this man did not own a mop of any kind. The floor was a mess, covered in bloody footprints, water, and something that came from the trash can which she did not want to describe. It smelled almost as bad as the man did.

She opened the hall closet and found a slew of things. Towels, bath supplies, cleaners, and the washer and dryer. A good note for the future. She opened the dryer and found clean clothes, all ready waiting.

 _This guy... he's not a very organized man._ Pulling out some towels and cleaning products she got to work. While she knew this would ruin the two towels in her hands, something had to be done and he was only half stocked of necessities in this old apartment. Which also confused her. _A journalist lives here... Maybe he's not that great. I'm sure blowing Life Foundation up will get him noticed._

She knew so little about him, only what she picked up in conversations they had so long ago. Brief, very little information, just enough to recognize his face.

First she wiped off her feet, the bleeding was starting to stop but she still had to be careful. Cleaning the blood up first she scrubbed away on her hands and knees, doing what she could to swipe away the trail. Working from the living space to the hall she cleaned up any trail she left behind, being sure to put the products back in the hall closet as she passed.

She took her time, did her work, and double checked it was done. Once she was satisfied she opened the closet to take a clean towel and clothes from the dryer, happy to finally get clean. Tossing the dirty towels stained with blood and filth into the washer she tiptoed into the bathroom, trying not to smudge her handiwork.

The shower was a bit of a challenge since he had torn the curtain down when he fell into the tub. She hooked it back as best she could, but a good portion could not be redone. He would need a new curtain. For now she could live with it. Locking the door behind her she stripped the Life Foundation clothes, tossing the rags onto the floor and started a warm shower.

It felt divine to be showering outside the cell again. While their restroom was cleaner and perhaps better in every functional way, she did prefer this. Soaking her head under the stream of hot water she watched as black and red water rinsed off her. Dirt, leaves, blood; all going down the drain. She took advantage of the products he did have which might smell strong to her, but this was a man living alone. The products were out of the norm for her.

Looking at the red bottle she chuckled lightly. _Old Spice Lavender._ A very interesting choice for a single man. _If he likes to smell like a flower, I don't blame him. Lavender smells nice; I don't know what manly scents there could be... Lumberjack cedar wood?_ She used the loofah he hand hanging on the shower head and scrubbed away the smell of Life's blank bars of soap and products with no labels. It felt cathartic to wash away that old cell and just smell like a normal human being again.

She got it out of her system, all the stress she felt living in that cell. Eight months he said, eight entire months. She did not know it had been that long as she did not much care to count days in there. It had been so long and she did not know how to respond to that. Time somehow flew passed but felt so slow in the cell, it felt so strange.

Looking at the old paint on the wall, the tile in need of a good cleaning, and the products of a single man she was grateful for the realism of it all. Something felt so unreal in a place so sterile. It was dirtier than the cell, but cleaner than the alley. She smiled in content; exactly what she wanted.

She stepped out of the shower and toweled off, inspecting the clothes she had stolen from the dryer. They were wrinkled, telling her he had left them in there for quite some time. This was more than a single night too, this was perhaps about a day or more. The shirt was enough to cover most of her, it was much larger than she anticipated. Stepping into the sweatpants she knew they would be far too large. He was not a heavy man by any means, but his frame was bulkier than hers. Tightening the sweatpants strings she managed to keep them on her hips.

Her feet still stung somewhat, she needed something to make sure she did not leave any trails of blood through his house anymore. Picking up the Life Foundation clothes, she took the shirt and shredded the thin material into strips. This man had maybe medicine for headaches or a fever, but he most certainly did not own gauze.

Using the strips of torn material she wrapped it around her feet and ankle on both feet. A few spots of blood continued to stain the material. The gashes were too long to stop bleeding just because she cleaned and covered the wounds. It was not enough to leave marks, just enough to be visible on the white fabric. It was enough for now and she wanted to be done terribly.

She was physically and mentally spent. This day needed to end because she did not want to spend another second on her abused feet.

Using the towel to dry out her hair a bit more she exited the bathroom, totally content with everything. That is, everything except her friend laying in the bedroom. He was not okay, but she would have to wait to handle him. Not that she minded, she really wanted a moment to herself. She walked into the kitchen acutely aware of how she looked and smelled. She was in his clothes, showering in his apartment, using his body wash, and cleaning his living room. Appearances were tricky and she hoped he did not mind she had been digging through his stuff.

Spotting eggs in the fridge and some white bread she was all too happy to cook something to eat. It would serve to further relax her, another physical activity to remind her she was free to do as she pleased.

Finding a pan, cooking oil, and the toaster she set to cooking. The smell of the eggs and warmth of the stove was a welcome comfort. She prepared extra, enough for herself and a double plate for her apparently quite hungry rescuer. He ate dead chicken out of the trash so she figured she would divert his hunger, get him something that he should be eating after running through the forest to escape a murderous organization.

The pan crackled as she scrambled the eggs in the pan and set the toast in the toaster. She pulled out a stick of butter and searched for plates to dish out their breakfast. Once everything was ready she dished out her own smaller portion while leaving two thirds of the meal to him. She cooked plenty for him to satisfy that hunger that seemed to take hold on him.

She put the plates on the kitchen table, put some toast to the side, and located the silverware. It was cheap silverware, but it was enough. She headed down the hall and paused outside the bedroom door, wondering if he had woken up just yet. Listening through the door she did not hear anything, so she knocked on the door and waited. Still listening to tell if he moved.

With no movement from the other side of the door, she carefully opened the door and leaned in. Peering around the door she saw him on the bed exactly how she left him. The knocking was pointless, he was asleep. She entered, her footsteps dead quiet on the floor thanks to the wraps muffling any sound she made. Standing at the side of his bed, seeing him still breathing and out like a light, she figured it was time to change that.

Leaning over him, she put one hand on the side of the bed and raised the other hand to his face. Patting his cheek she waited to see if he would wake up. "Hey, get up." She patted harder and his face twisted, his rest disturbed. He was as tired as she was, but they had to remain functional after staging a reckless escape. The day was young and there was much to do.

His eyes opened slowly and she could see his vision clearing up. She didn't have to give him long as his gaze found her leaning over him. Taken by surprise at the woman's face so close, he was conflicted on how to respond.

She leaned up, still staring at him. "Hey."

His eyes flicked around the room, "Uh, hey." His voice was rough having been overly strained the night before.

There was a beat as she nodded her head towards the door. "Breakfast is ready." She turned to leave, allowing him to follow her. Pushing the door open she heard him getting out of the bed, throwing off the covers and hurrying behind her. He still had socks on, she had not taken to removing more than just his shoes and jacket. To which he was only now beginning to realize.

As he followed her out of his bedroom he found himself overlooking her back. Though his memories of last night were really focused on the escape, he was fairly certain she was in white clothes from the Life Foundation lab. Now she was wearing an oversized dark grey shirt and sweatpants that were so long they covered her feet and gathered around her ankles. These were absolutely not her clothes and not what Life provided.

She turned the corner into the kitchen, pulling out a seat at the table with a plate of food already waiting. His stunned confusion was written across his face. Explaining everything all at once might overwhelm him and instead she let him take it at his own pace. He got the gist of the additional plate of eggs and toast, seeing it about twice the amount of hers.

He took a seat, still looking around the apartment in awe. "You- You made breakfast?"

She nodded, chewing a fork full of eggs.

He looked to the scrambled eggs, small dish of butter, and toast. Everything was still hot so she had just finished. "Thanks." All too happy to dig in, he quickly cleared nearly half the plate. The two ate in contented silence, though there was a certain level of awkwardness between them it was not threatening. Everything would come in time and he truly felt hungry enough to eat four more plates of this size.

During their breakfast she remained watchful of how much he ate and how fast. While she was almost done, he was just finishing. He chowed down like a starving dog, scarfing any bread crumb left. It was impressive if she hadn't remembered him trying to do the same thing with garbage chicken.

He took a breath as he finished, so glad to be fed edible food. He tried to repress the memory of frozen tots and chicken as much as she wanted to.

She took her last bite, slowly chewing as she stared at him with wide eyes. While she finished her food, he couldn't help but look around at the apartment. There was a lot different than he remembered, the most noticeable change was how clean the place was compared to the state he left it in.

Returning to her attention at the table, he pushed the empty plate away and leaned on the table. Trying to find a way to be sensible, he bit the inside of his cheek. "Did you... clean up?" He spun his finger around to indicate he was talking around the apartment. He didn't want to say _dead chicken carcass and trash_ but he knew she'd understand. The answer to his question was obvious, he just wanted to make sure. Some things were a bit blurry.

She nodded, swallowing her final bite. "Yeah." Standing from her chair she picked up her plate and his, taking it to the sink and rinsed them both off. He was still too confused to take his eyes off this strange woman cleaning his apartment and feeding him.

He stood from the table, looking around the apartment while glancing in her direction. "Are you- I mean, is that my shirt?" He did not want to look like he was staring at her while she turned around to face him.

She pulled at the grey material. "Also yeah." Crossing her arms loosely. "I can't say I much liked what the Life Foundation dressed me up in... and it was dirty."

"Ah, right." He mumbled to himself, not entirely sure where to go with this conversation. It was far too awkward to progress. That and he was not best at small talk especially after being shot at last night, he didn't know if he should talk about the weather or ask her why Life was experimenting on her. Two completely different paths, both with the potential to make the awkwardness even worse.

Taking initiative, she took a step towards him. "Do you happen to have some tweezers?"

A little unexpected, he was slow to nod. "Yeah, yeah I do." He pointed down the hall, starting to head towards his bedroom. "I'll just go get it... um, wait here." He was glad to get away for a moment to take a breath and reorganize his thoughts. Desperate to wrap his head around what was going on, the sick feeling in his stomach, and why he was eating like an animal.

She stood silently in the middle of the living area, waiting patiently as she heard him messing around with things in his room. After a few drawers opening quite loudly, scrambling through clothes and things left in those drawers, he emerged with a pair of tweezers in hand breathing somewhat heavy. "Here, there ya go."

Happy to see them she offered him a polite smile to thank him before heading to sit on the couch. There were still some rogue pieces of glass she needed the tweezers for. He watched her kick up one of her feet on her knee, pulling up the leg of the sweatpants to reveal her foot wrapped up with blood stains. A bit alarmed, he came over to see what had happened.

Assuming it happened during their escape, he wanted to make sure she was not injured.

After the wrap was untied, she peeled the bloodied material off the wounds in the sole of her foot. Small cuts sprinkled around larger lacerations, the source of the blood stains. He winced, "What happened, are you alright?"

She nodded, "I'm fine, I already got the larger shards out. I just really needed the tweezers to get the small bits, they're bothering me." Her eyes narrowed, her fingers brushing over the red, sensitive skin until she felt a sharp pin prick. Using the tweezers to carefully free herself of the sharp pains. She turned her eyes up to him, "You look like ass."

He blinked. "Thanks?"

She smiled with another curt nod, "You're welcome." She returned to removing glass bits.

"And you, uh..." He paused seeing her eyes flick up to meet his. "You did all... this?" His hands gestured to his entire body. Her eyes looked him over critically, making him feel a tad bit shaken.

"You tripped or whatever. Knocked yourself out so I put you in bed. Yes, I removed your jacket and shoes. They're in your room, but they're pretty gross. I wouldn't wear them before you've drowned them in detergent." Recalling the terrible smell of sweat and that manly musk that came after heavy physical activity. He still did not smell the best. She felt a piece of glass in the side of her foot, unable to turn her foot enough to see where the glass was. She tried to find it by dragging the tongs of the tweezers over the area, feeling it out. "Dammit... where is this thing?" She kept trying, struggling to get these pieces out.

He kneeled down beside her, holding a hand out. "Here, I'll help."

Sure enough, she examined him closely again before handing him the tweezers as if she suspected him of foul play. Her extremely critical gaze unnerved him a lot more than he was willing to admit aloud. He moved to kneel in front of her, holding his other hand up for her. Agreeing, she lifted her leg and dropped her ankle in his open hand, allowing him to take a look. His point of view was better, allowing him to use the light to find the reflection of the glass in her foot.

Leaning in close to inspect the area, he took a closer look at all the cuts along her foot. He figured it was from the glass from her cell; he had not realized at that point she was barefoot but it made sense. The cuts were red and angry, but the bleeding did appear to have stopped a short time ago. He was cautious not to pull the wounds so she would not bleed out more.

As he was leaned in close it was hard not to smell her. His nose twitched with the familiar scent, a wash he knew well. Raising his head to look at her he realized her hair was partially wet. He found it a bit amusing. "You smell like lavender."

She chuckled darkly, "Apparently the smell of an adult man." They both shared a moment of lightheartedness. "When I stepped in the shower I felt lucky you actually had soap."

He raised a brow in question, "Why's that?"

"You haven't smelled yourself lately." Strong words he took to heart immediately. He lifted the collar of his shirt to his face, sniffing the material and recoiling in disgust. Compared to the Old Spice Lavender he smelled like burning garbage. He had not realized he was sweating so much. It was weird since in his life he could not recall ever been a guy who sweat excessively.

He was reluctant to interrupt their short moment of relief, there was so much more he needed to address and they had to deal with. "I need to see someone, today of course, we need to see them. I gotta talk to... uh, someone, and then we- together, need to see my boss... Well, ex-boss. Gotta get these pictures to him, let you talk to him so he'll run the story." He had a hard time continuing on a trail of thought, it felt like a torrent of images and new thoughts in his head. It was uncomfortable, but he had to get this done before Life tracked them both down.

"Someone?" She pried quietly, trying to urge him to divulge a bit more information than that vague statement.

"Someone." He insisted without malice, an almost apologetic tone. He wanted to protect Anne and he did not want to make her mad if he endangered her. Drake would come after them and by extension he would go for Anne. "But it's not important, personal stuff. Don't- Well, no need to worry. I'll be back and then we'll go straight to up. We're going to see Jack, trust me, he'll help us. Drake won't be able to get away."

It sounded promising for sure, as a journalist he had connections she did not doubt it. She thought about what he said as he found another piece of glass embedded in her foot. She paused a moment, "Ex-boss?"

That seemed to hit a nerve as he twitched, tilting his head side to side. "Drake didn't do me any favors either. We uh, Jack gave me an interview with Drake. Being an investigative reporter I kinda, y'know, found some dirt on Drake so I confronted him in the interview. They... cut the footage and fired me."

She realized why a reporter was living in this old apartment clearly in need of serious TLC. "Sorry, that sucks ass."

He grinned, huffing in amusement. That was the most personable thing she had said so far. "Nah, don't be. Looks like you took the worse hit; at least Drake didn't lock me up to run fucked up tests on me. Pretty sure he'd love that, but eh, I think that was too obvious even for him."

"A lot of people have gone missing. Homeless, like me. No one knows? Has anyone looked for us?" It was a genuine interest. He could pick up on the sensitivity of this topic, it was a hard pill to swallow. He was no stranger to people falling through the cracks, he had seen it a hundred times. While he did not want to have to say yes, it was the honest truth.

"Some people I guess. Missing posters, missing persons reports, but I think they all just... flew under the radar. Homeless go missing everyday, it's hard to keep track... Not sayin' that's excusable or whatever, just that it's kinda reality of it all." The disappointed look on her face bothered him, he didn't like breaking bad news directly. He was better on camera dishing out hard truths and sharp quips about corrupt officials. "I noticed you were gone though."

His comment interested her though she did not respond. "I came back that week, Tuesday. It was raining again and I dropped by, couldn't find you so I looked around. Most homeless I know don't stray far from shelter usually. I asked a few folk, looked through some places they said you frequent. Didn't find much, but they did point me to where you live in that alley."

"Ah, home sweet trash in a back alley." She dreamed wistfully, hoping to cheer up the mood somewhat. It was deflection though, hoping he did not comment on her living conditions.

"Kinda figured you'd been lookin' into that Price guy, maybe got yourself in trouble. Tried to search around, even brought cops in on it, but no one found anything. It's hard to follow a homeless persons trail - almost impossible in the lower city." He brought up her other foot, looking for more pieces of glass. He wiped his forehead with his arm, still sweating profusely. "Couldn't find you, but it wasn't long until I got that interview with Drake. Fired immediately, no more investigations."

"Thanks for looking. Drake's people are good at making others disappear." She offered solidarity and to him, that was exactly what he needed.

They finished up quietly, pleased with the progress made today. He insisted on rewrapping her feet for her, trying to keep a comfortable pressure on the woulds to help them heal up. He made note to get medical supplies to help out more later on. Once done he set the tweezers down and stood up with her, waiting to see her reaction. She bent her feet all around on the floor, unable to feel a single prick. She gave him an appreciative thumbs up.

Satisfied with another job well done for this extremely busy morning, he set out to made the most of the day before Drake tracked them down. A lot was on the line if they failed to get this information out before Drake's hired henchmen found them.

With no time to waste he grabbed his cell phone, looking around for his apartment keys, and another pair of shoes.

"Okay, so I'm gonna be gone a little while. Not long- well, not too long." He admitted, "Just stay here and stay low, we don't want to attract attention right now. Make yourself at home, eat more, drink, watch some TV. Do whatever, but maybe leaving isn't the best idea."

Her steely blue eyes looked around the apartment. "I could just come with you?"

"No, no no no." He shook his head, holding a hand up. "I gotta try to convince her to believe me. I'm taking my phone to show her that Drake is up to something bad, get her to back me up. She's the only other person I trust with this aside from Jack. She'll help if she sees the evidence. I think she will, we'll have to see." He continued a conversation that sounded targeted more to himself.

"Okay, okay. I'll stay." He was quick to work himself up so she held up her hands in defense, trying to keep him calm. "Is there anyway for me to get out of here if I have to? Like if Carlton Drake's lackeys show up. I don't want to be cornered here." She did not want to insult him and say she did not want to be killed in this apartment. Her death did not have to be in some not up to code apartment complex with water stains in every room.

Conceding to her, he hunted through the landing table near the apartment door. "Here, I'm going to take the tram. This is the key to my bike, it's a black bike sitting on the curb. Uh... it should be in lot E 15. Money in the nightstand by the, on the left side of my bed. Run if they're here, don't worry about me." He passed by her in a rush, too much time wasted already. He wanted to get moving, there was most of the day left but he did not want to risk another second.

Disappearing again into his bedroom, he returned to her with a small flip phone. He hit a few buttons, making sure it was charged and loaded it with his number, then put the number on his cell. He took her hand and placed the phone in it, clasping her fingers around it. "Call me. If something happens I'll call you."

Regarding the flip phone curiously, she accepted it and placed it in the sweatpants pocket. "You just have extra phones lying around?"

He hurried up to the apartment door, swinging it open. "Burner phone, used a lot of them back when I had a job reporting on people like Drake. My number's in there, just hit it if you need me. Anything- I'm serious. Anything at all. Call me." His aggressive insistence was caring, he wanted her to be safe here even though he knew it wouldn't be for long.

"Alright, I'll call." She held the motorcycle key in her hand, her nail scratching at the metal. "Are you going to be okay?"

He was mostly out the door before he looked back. "Oh yeah, yeah. I'll be fine. Just watch out for yourself, yeah? Stay low, don't leave unless you have to and..." He flipped his hand towards the apartment. "Make yourself at home." He grabbed the doorknob ready to close it before she stopped him again.

"Wait, one last thing." She grabbed onto the edge of the door, stopping him from closing it.

While he searched her for an answer, she shrugged. "My name is Yvonne."

He cracked a grin, "Eddie." He offered his hand to shake and she accepted happily giving him a final goodbye.

"Thank you, Eddie." Her wide smile tried to convey her gratefulness. He already understood the situation she was in when he arrived, so he refused to leave her behind. An act that nearly cost them both their lives. Still, she could not be happier he stuck his neck out.

She closed and locked the door behind him, spinning the key in her fingers. The apartment felt so empty without him making a mess of it. Her smile faded as she found herself locked in another room, the threat of Drake and his payroll hitmen outside. The safest place was in the apartment and she knew that. It did not mean she felt better.

Her greatest comfort the smell of men's Old Spice Lavender, she thought of her rescuer, Eddie. Her hand raised to her neck, tapping the key on the metal device. She felt the familiar clench in her chest. Fear of ramification, fear of when it's coming for her and Eddie. Wondering when they will use it. They knew she was gone, why did they not activate the device.

Why was she still alive?

* * *

 _ **Antex-The Legendary Zoroark:**_

 _Haha yeah, the escape was fun! I had a delightful time having the two meet again. And now we know her name and she knows who Eddie is. :)  
Some progress is made haha  
The device is still a problem, it's super bad for her and dangerously bad for Eddie and Venom. It won't be long until we start to see what her mutation can really do. Human forms are fine, animals too, but there's a lot more under the surface and booooyyyyyyy I am excited to show it off!_

 _I'm seriously happy you're pleased with it. It was quite long so the wait was longer I know, but I felt like cutting it off right as Eddie showed up to keep the chapters at about 3k-4k was a bit damaging to the scene. I mean, it's kinda an action scene. What's worse than all that tension being wasted just to keep the word count down? You guys deserved a whole 2 in 1 chapter to get a fill for it xD_

 _ **ArtasticSarcastic01:**_

 _I knoooowww I'm so happy to finally have Eddie around. I feel like stories should begin when they really begin. For her that's when she first discovered the Life Foundation offer and continued when Eddie finally brought her out of the lab. So I hope it remains interesting and keeps you engaged. I can always slow it down a bit if it is preferable. :)  
But man I really wanted to get into the thick of it - Eddie's here and Venom's bonding to him. Things are weiiirrdd for him right now and she's just happy to be there. Gosh I'm so excited x.x  
That device... oh man, it's gonna be a problem that'll bite them in the ass. Yikesssss these poor people have been through enough haha  
_

 _I hope you like this chapter! I'm happy to have it finished, it's another long one! :)_

 ** _BluAsh54:_**

 _Thank you, thank you! I love to hear from all my readers. It really helps encourage me to write and I always love to hear what you guys have to say. I'm glad you're liking the story and don't worry, there's even more coming! And I mean after the segment of the movie ends, there is more afterwards. ;)  
I hope you like this latest addition :D_

 ** _Aria DeLoncray:_**

 _Thanks! I hope to keep them coming and up the quality as time goes on. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! :)_

 ** _xxxRena:_**

 _Haha I don't think I understand completely, but yeah Eddie's here! I'm so excited to have him around. Our lovely Yvonne is pretty happy about it too. ;)  
Another long chapter to enjoy, I hope you like it!_

 ** _XXBlackfireXX:_**

 _Too kind, thank you so much! I am glad to hear you're enjoying it so far!_

 ** _SpoonAer:_**

 _Ooo I love that Garrus avatar. Vakarian :3  
I hope you like this chapter, we get to relax after a lot of stress. Poor Eddie and Yvonne!_


	9. Viscus

**Skinning the Beast**

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 **Review replies posted at bottom of story.**

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Hours had passed since Eddie left and she had spent more time than she wanted looking in the mirror. Her hair was clean now, but as much as she wanted to pull it back she could not. The device in her neck, the damage around it all needed to be hidden for now.

With Eddie out of the apartment and privacy all her own, she retreated to the bathroom to inspect the area. Her hand brushed the sensitive skin around the device, trailing the long dark lines. She put her hands on the side of the sink, leaning towards the mirror, and watched her neck carefully. Her shifting could change a lot, but Drake said the device was pierced under the muscle. An area she was not entirely sure she could shift enough to remove it.

Changing her muscle structure was not too hard, she could do it, but she could not remove muscle. It had to remain functional or she would just end up causing more damage. Surface wounds like glass in her feet, cuts from the branches in the woods, bone damage, and any illness she could shift to change. No matter how much she used her mutation she could never change biological rules.

The person who implanted the device was good, very good. She did not know how they knew where to put it, but they chose well. The pierce went deep into her neck, just behind the SCM, straight through the levator scapulae and splenius capitis. Something was on the end, holding it in place. When she pulled the device she could feel something deeper inside and she could not figure out what it was.

Muscle had to be in place, but she could move it if she was careful. The area was critical and shifting did not change the muscles, it simply moved them, added to them, or changed their structure. She met a shapeshifter once that could move any part of her body down to the smallest tissue at will. It was incredible to see, but she was not like that shifter. She could not change so much so directly. That was the only shapeshifter she ever met that could do such a thing and she was hailed as the greatest example of a shifter. For good reason of course.

Yvonne sighed, struggling with a defeatist attitude. She turned rushed out of the bathroom and grabbed more towels, feeling bad that she was about to ruin more of them. She needed to try and get this thing out of her neck. If she could, she would save them both a lot of fighting. Unfortunately, she did not know how to go about handling this. So she did guesswork.

She laid out the towels on the edge of the bathtub and removed Eddie's shirt and sweatpants, hoping to spare at least some of his stuff. She could not see the mirror from here, but she hoped guessing would be enough. With the bathroom door locked, the clothes safely away from her, she sat on the floor of the bathtub completely nude. Though she felt a bit exposed, being naked while shifting was fairly common. It saved a lot of her own clothes anyways.

With preparations finished, she focused on the shift. Her skin split down the middle, acting similar to skinning an animal. Something happened below the surface though, something grew and began to threaten shredding apart the shed skin. She did not need to shed it all, just enough to expose part of her. Unlike before in Life Foundation labs, the surface below was not sinew and tissue. It was a different kind of skin, a hide thicker than her human skin.

Larger, denser, and stronger the body tearing from within the human skin hit air. She was cautious not to rip apart the skin, she would need to use it again. Shedding entirely would create too much of a mess and leave too much behind. It would disintegrate in time, but the mess was avoidable if she simply kept the skin as she would need to shift back after she was done.

The skin began to slide off the new body underneath, blood trickling down into the bathtub below. She removed the flesh like a winter coat, not wanting to damage it. She carefully pulled it off, the new body starting to take shape. The new form would have made thicker skin, hide dense enough to make a knife useless. The neck was longer, bulkier, holding up a long face.

It was clear while the body was forming, it was not completed. The hide red from thin membrane, muscles left skinless, bleeding from the lack of hide. She left it only partially shifted, not going far enough to creating a new body she would have to shed again.

Fleshy horns cracked free, her shoulders slipped from the flesh, and half of her body revealed to be this mostly human sized skinless animal. It had no structure of known animals, appearing red and sinewy in appearance, she had created this beast years ago. Though this was a condensed form of it, the creature served a great many purposes. It was stronger than her, stronger than most and had a hide that protected any weak spots.

She raised her head up, tilting her jaw to find the device still stuck in her neck. Her nose twitched, slit eyes dilating as they adjusted to the room. Picking up the skin she had shed she found the puncture where the device had been. It was well made, still stuck in her neck regardless of her shift. It held onto muscles she could not change enough to remove it without an incision.

A large padded hand with long sharp claws scratched at the soft sinew around the device. The area still sore, the damage was far deeper than the skin. Overuse lead to wounds deep inside her neck that shifting would not fix. Replacing muscles, organs, it could all be done. She could replace the muscles in her neck, the soft tissue, and at the larger veins... It still would not result in her being free of the device.

A deep growl emitted from her throat, this beast's way of huffing in frustration. She tried harder though, using her claws to dig into the sensitive flesh just around the device. She wanted to rip it out, but self mutilation was no simple task. Clenching her teeth with a loud hiss, she hooked her index and thumb claw behind the head of the device and pulled.

The best she could do is pull off the end, she could break it, but the device end was the only thing keeping the implant near the surface. She did not want to jar it loose so it could stab her in the neck. The pain of being stabbed by sharp metal inside her neck sounded like a terrible plan, not to mention if it was still usable. If Life found her and used it, if it could be, than she still would be mostly nonfunctional. The only way to break the device and be able to stay within tolerance of the pain was to double her size so it felt more like the tiny bits of shards in her foot rather than a giant needle that pierced through half of her neck.

It was a bad plan, one that did not make sense to bet on. She had to be ready in case something happened and to do that, she needed to not be living with a needle in her neck.

Dropping her claws she shook her head. This form helped tremendously and the only way it could continue to do so is if she remained under the radar. She could not shift into this creature to stay in Eddie's living room taking up half the apartment. The only way out of the apartment would be to break down walls too, so there was no chance of that happening.

She had to leave the device where it was and find another way to remove it. While she did not know how, she hoped something would come up. Someone could get the damn thing out of her neck. With it removed she could charge right back into Life Foundation's labs and tear the place apart, no amount of guards with pistols could pierce the hide of a giant beast rampaging through. It would be satisfying to wreck the place, everything Drake built just to shove it in his face. Screwing with a mutant with her physical abilities was a bad play.

It was pure fantasy at this point. Eddie and Yvonne were both on the run, trying to break open Drake's illegal experimentation the right way. A commendable way of course, but dangerous. She did not want things to go south, she wanted to help. With the device in her neck her help was severely limited.

That is if Eddie's reaction to discovering her mutation was not negative. She had no idea how he thought of mutants and without that, shifting could potentially land him in more danger. If she could not protect him with her mutation than she could not assure his survival. Which meant no exposure about Drake's labs, the aliens, or the murder of so many people.

She needed to balance survival, risk, and reward. There was a lot riding on simply being alive.

Unable to move the device, she started to shift back. Since the beast was not complete she did not have to shed it. Instead it deformed and condensed down, allowing her to slip the human skin back on over the beast of sinew and viscera, carefully sewing the skin together. The center split began to close up, fusing together from the waist up until the beast was comfortably and convincingly back in human shape.

She sighed, double checking the skin she put back on. It had rebuilt nicely, not a seam left from the transformation. Blood pooled in the tub around her, dripping slowly into the drain. Standing from the bloody mess, she turned on the shower to dilute the blood and wash it down, hiding any trace of the shift for when Eddie returned. The water washed the blood off her, from her hair, and she waited until the water rinsing through was clear. As soon as it finished she turned off the water, dried off, and slipped back into Eddie's clothes.

Looking into the bathroom mirror she saw the device still sitting comfortably in the same spot. The skin healed the best it could around it, a few scratches on it from her beast's claws. Nothing else though, no other significant changes. She accepted this thing was stuck for now, she would need someone to remove it the same way they implanted it. With surgical tools and equipment, something to put her under because digging that deep was risky and painful. She sucked it up, there were more important things to do now anyways.

With the mess cleaned up behind her she refolded the towels that escaped any red stains, she ensured she covered everything behind her with her fingers on the device once again.

It disturbed her considerably, the thing securely pierced through her neck. There was something about it, something a bit strange. She knew her identity was not some great big secret, she had been in the news with her old teammates many times. Her name plastered in the articles to be read by anyone at all, it's all public knowledge. While her electric weakness was exposed, the details of her mutation to such an extent that someone could craft a device to control her was not.

Someone made this device, someone paid by Drake. He did tell her the first time they met that he had his lab design the electrocuting implant. For that to be possible someone must have know something.

She hated how vague this whole situation was. There was more than she knew going on and the device in her neck was evidence of that, but she could do nothing about it.

Though she did shift it was not a complete form. She had hoped that using the unfinished, soft fleshed in between she could grab the device and remove it. It was clear there was an individual behind this implant that knew a lot more than she thought.

For now the device was going to remain embedded.

So she kept her mind off of it. Shoving the unopened bag of tater tots in the oven, turned on the TV, and stole a soda from the fridge. She had a lazy morning just relaxing, enjoying the sunlight from the windows, the sound of bad TV appropriate sitcoms, and junk food to warm her stomach. Much better than the cold cell she spent the last few months in.

There was a lot of news she missed, so she switched over to the news stations and see what exactly was going on. The information black out was the first thing she had gotten used to in her cell. As the news anchor rambled on and on she picked up only a few bits of information worth knowing. Not much really had any bearing on them other than Life Foundation announcing a their latest rocket launch dates.

She rolled her eyes, uninterested in hearing from a publicity interview. Switching back to the laugh track sitcoms, she heard a loud buzzing behind her. She jumped up from the couch alarmed, eyes wide and searching the room for any intrusions before they rested on the flip phone ringing and vibrating on the kitchen counters. The only person that knew the number was Eddie... She vaulted over the couch and grabbed the phone, quick to answer.

"Eddie?" There was no reason to call unless it was an emergency... or maybe not. He never said he would call only if something happened, but that's how she felt seeing the phone ring.

The voice on the other end was absolutely not Eddie. "Hello?" It was a woman who sounded a little surprised at the urgency in Yvonne's tone. "Yeah, this is Anne Weying. Eddie told me to call this number. He's in the hospital."

She swallowed hard, "Uh, oh." She was never good at talking to strangers and she didn't know if she should trust this person. It could be the woman Eddie was going to see, he did refuse to divulge her name. "Is he okay? What's happened?" Concerned about Drake's people she felt a pang of fear hit her. Worried they found him, did something, and now he was dying in the hospital.

"No. He's alive, he wasn't in an accident. He's in the hospital with a high fever, he was acting really strange." Yvonne figured this was something to do with the behavior he exhibited this morning. The fever a possible side effect of eating rotten food and she did not want to think of that in any more detail. Watching him do that was enough.

"Well okay..." She paused a moment, an awkward silence on the line. There was tension here Yvonne was absolutely unaware of. "So... do you, I mean- should I do something? If he's just got a fever send him back home?" She had no idea what this woman expected of her. None whatsoever and her obliviousness was met with abrasive confusion.

The woman on the other end pushed. "No, there's something very wrong with him. He's going in for an MRI scan and he asked us to call this number. He's not making a lot of sense, but he wanted us to call you and let you know... I really don't think he is in any condition to be on his own right now. He had some kind of episode at the restaurant. Can you maybe pick him up from the hospital?" There was so much emotion trying to get through her professional tone. All Yvonne knew was that this woman was upset and it was about Eddie.

Her eye on the key sitting on the kitchen table, Yvonne nodded to herself. "Sure, yeah, okay. I guess if he needs me I'll be there. Which hospital?"

"Saint Francis Memorial in downtown. You know it?"

"Yeah, I'll head there now." She closed the flip phone and rushed to grab the single key.

Before leaving she looked down to her state of dress, finding an oversized shirt and sweatpants not the best outfit for riding. Not to mention no shoes, she'd be pulled over in an instant. So she ducked into Eddie's bedroom, trying her best not to infringe on his privacy. She went to the drawers, searching for something better to wear. She found some jeans in the drawers, a pair of lace up work boot in his closet, and a rather heavy looking leather jacket. A good ensemble for riding, if it wasn't far too large for her.

Stealing a belt she was barely able to keep the jeans up, though they were quite low on her hips. She felt like it was kind of obvious they were not hers, but she could do nothing about that now. In hopes to make her clothing look intentional she lifted the large shirt to her waist and knotted it to the side. The boots were the hardest to get right, she had to borrow a pair of socks to get them to really stay on. Lacing them as tightly as she could, she stood up and threw on the leather jacket.

As she was leaving she spotted the black helmet on the floor, on its side. At some point he had discarded it there and let it collect dust. For now she could make use of it, both for riding his bike and for keeping her face hidden in the city.

She carried it in hand as she unlocked the door of the apartment, took a step out and locked it behind her. She rushed down the hall and flew down the stairs, putting the helmet on as she went, making sure it was on comfortably after tightening the strap. She could not zip up the leather jacket, it was far too large and the rigidity of it while on the bike would cause issues, limiting her maneuverability.

Not that she needed it terribly bad, she would not be moving fast. She needed to get to a busy downtown hospital that would have a line of traffic around it most likely. Exiting the building onto the busy street was a bit more intense than she thought. It had been so long since she was on her own that she had to take a moment to adjust. When they arrived earlier this morning it was mostly quiet and they did so looking over their shoulders.

Looking down the line she spotted the bike in lot E 15, parked just down the sidewalk. It had been years since she was on a bike. Refreshing herself was a bit strange. She sat on the bike, getting a feel for the shape and size of it. It started with a resounding roar, dropping to a rumbling idle. She did not know precisely where this apartment was, but she knew where the hospital was.

Using the little flip phone she picked up some general directions though it was hard to see the small screen. She sat on the idling bike while she worked to memorize the directions. It was a half hour drive, no ideas about traffic, but she could make good time. MRI scans could take some time to finish so she figured she had some room for error.

Not that she would tell Eddie that once she got there. Directions and her did not get along so she spent a good ten minutes repeating the streets and turns. Before she even approached the hospital there would be signs, just like any other hospital the roads always had signs directing people to their entrances especially for emergencies.

Tucking the phone into the leather jacket's pocket, she zipped the pocket closed and took off. Slowly at first, she had to acclimate. Soon enough she was riding down the road, thrilled to be riding a bike again. The last time she had ridden a good bike was back in New York, taking some bikes out of the shared garage. It was not her bike, but neither did it belong to anyone in specific. It was just a bike for riding.

The directions were accurate though she had some moments where she was afraid she forgot them again. It took a good forty minutes to reach the hospital, thankful for all the signs pointing the way once she got close enough.

Riding up to the entrance, she drove into the overhang of the hospital's non-emergency entrance. Parking the bike she looked around, trying to see if Eddie was waiting. Unlikely since MRI's did take a while. She cut the engine and got off the bike, making sure it was not parked in the way of anyone coming and going.

Acutely aware of her dress, she was certain she'd attract some attention. A black helmet, leather jacket twice as big as her, a shirt tied around her midriff, jeans hanging low, and heavy oversized work boots. She was an interesting sight for sure and she really wanted to avoid being visible for too long. So she headed up to the front desk, nurses all hurrying around.

"Hey, I'm here to see Eddie, he was brought in apparently to get an MRI." She asked, the nurse smiling to her.

"Okay, one minute." She typed away at the outdated computer, the keyboard clacking loudly. It took a good few minutes as the nurse finished up something else before she could help Yvonne. "Last name?"

She paused, she did not know his last name. Trying to work around it, she thought of the woman who called her. "Uh, he was brought in by Anne Weying? Does that help at all?" She had entirely forgot she only knew him by Eddie.

"Oh, Anne?" The nurse was familiar and nodded. "Yes, she said someone would be arriving for Doctor Lewis' patient. Is that you, ma'am?"

"Yes, that's me. Anne called me and said he needed to be picked up." She was thankful the woman had planned ahead.

The nurse stood up, "Alright, it's just down the corridor to your left. Head straight down until you see the signs for the imaging center. Follow the signs and they will be in room 32." She had a polite smile on her face, taking a seat back at her desk. "Have a good day, ma'am."

Yvonne waved her thanks and headed down the hall. She really _really_ hated hospitals. Nothing about a hospital and mutant ever went together well. Mutants avoided public hospitals at all costs, searching for whichever one might have another mutant staffed or the small groups that offered asylum for mutants in need of medical attention. Though they were few and far between... and incredibly hard to find.

The heavy boots stomped their way down the white tiled corridor, following the large silver signs for imaging. It was not far down the line being a section of the hospital frequently used for many patients. She entered the carpeted lobby, seeing people waiting around, another front desk, and a closed double door where the radiologists work. He was likely behind those doors.

As the doors opened automatically, she started to count the numbers on the doors trying to find room 32. One by one she made some progress, each one closer than the last. Until she was stopped by a woman standing just ahead of her. She read the room number. _32\. This must be the woman on the phone._ She was blond, in a suit, looking quite worried.

She approached cautiously, this woman was a stranger to her and she was nervous she might not be reasonably personable. So she gave the woman a small wave, "Anne Weying?"

Her head shot up, relief on her face. "Oh! You're the woman Eddie asked for?"

"That would be me," She removed the helmet and offered her other hand. "Yvonne, nice to meet you, Anne."

She accepted it, "You too." Her head turned towards the room door and back to Yvonne. "Do you know what's going on with him? Has he been acting strange at all?" She wanted some assurance that Eddie was being cared for, that something was happening to watch over him. That and his erratic behavior lead him to do some very odd things she had no explanation for.

Yvonne shrugged, "I guess? I mean, I woke him up for breakfast and he seemed like he was catching a fever, nothing that would land him in the hospital though. What happened?"

"He just barged in, I told him to stop and he knocked over a waiter, ate food off another person's plate, then he jumped into the lobster tank like a bath... and he ate one. Raw, alive, with the shell on. He just- ugh." She resisted gagging at the memory of it. The whole event was beyond her. "He kept talking about something, about Life, Carlton Drake, and talked about the food. He said he broke into Life Foundation."

She tilted her head, "Are you the person he was going to see this morning?"

Anne gestured to the door, "Apparently... do you know what's going on?"

Unsure who this woman was or what he was willing to tell her, Yvonne would not divulge anything without talking to Eddie first. It was hard not too though, this woman seemed to be genuinely concerned for Eddie. "I should... really talk to Eddie first. I'm sorry, I don't know who you are and I don't want to want to cause problems."

It stung to say as much as it appeared to sting when Anne heard it. Looking at Yvonne over, her eye caught on the helmet and Yvonne's clothing. It was all just a little too big for her, all very clearly cut for a man. She was not willing to admit that pang in her heart to see this woman in what Anne was quick to assume was Eddie's clothing. She did not want to jump to conclusions. "I'm Eddie's ex-fiance. I used to do legal work for my firm that was hired by Life Foundation."

Yvonne's eyes widened as she tried to nod casually. "Oh, really?" Her tone a mix of alarm and disapproval. There was this inkling of weariness that Anne caught onto. "That's... great."

"Are those... Eddie's?" Anne trusted that Yvonne knew what she was asking. Yvonne looked to her clothes, Eddie's clothes, and winced.

The mutant woman laughed awkwardly, "Ah yeah, sorry. My clothes were... in the wash." She had no idea how to lie without making things feel weird. Standing with this woman things were already so tense and she understood why now. Eddie's ex-fiance, there was a lot going on Yvonne was not privy to and she did not want to step on Eddie's toes about it.

Anne forced a smile, "Ah. I see."

Inside Yvonne was screaming.

"Well, I have to get back to work. I've already been gone too long and it seems like you... have everything under control." Anne was polite regardless. Yvonne wanted to express how bad she felt to Anne, how terrible this whole thing must be. _That 'everything' means Eddie, oh fuck I don't know how to make this better._ Yvonne offered her hand again.

"Thanks, Anne. I'm sorry to have bothered you, sorry about Eddie too. I'll be sure to watch him and if something happens, I'll let you know?" She was trying to put out the bridge she had just lit on fire.

Anne seemed pleasantly happy to hear that. "Yes, if you would I'd appreciate it. Do you want my number?"

Yvonne pulled out her phone, a little flip phone and added Anne into the contacts. In the event that Yvonne needed to reach her since Eddie seemed to want to include her on their bust. It felt strange to have Eddie's ex in her contacts, yet she was glad that this woman was so calm about the situation. Even though it was not the way Anne imagined, Yvonne had no idea what to tell her and what not to. She would have to wait for Eddie.

"Thank you and-" Anne sighed, looking at the room door again before giving Yvonne a sincere expression of concern. "Take care of him? He's not in a good place."

Wracked with guilt, Yvonne nodded. "I promise."

Anne took her leave, heading back out of the hospital while Yvonne stood there waiting. She had no idea what to do about this, but she felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility to these people. She was dragged into another fight where she was growing too involved with the people. While she had wanted to make sure Eddie could do his exposure piece on Drake, she did not anticipate this position.

It was human, it was reality, and it was freaking her out.

She stood totally still, stricken with an inordinate sense of loyalty and companionship to a person she just properly met a few hours ago. A year ago Eddie was this guy she knew was a journalist, but never had much to give him. She stayed out of the way, invisible to everyone but him. Eddie noticed and she found enjoyment when he stopped by, though it was rare.

She stared at room 32, releasing a deep breath she didn't know she was holding. Drake deserved what was coming to him and Eddie was the person to do it the right way. Only she really did not want to be involved in their personal lives. Having met Anne the ex-fiance, learning about Eddie's history with Drake, and his condition now... she was being dragged in if she wanted it or not.

It took a while for her to calm her heart rate down, her memories of other labs, other people fighting the bad guys, places where everyone suffered. It was hard not to think of the people that didn't come back.

Some time passed while she watched the door like a hawk, thinking about times in her life she had come to terms with. The handle clicked and out of it stepped a man in a the standard attire for a doctor. It was a fairly tall man with short, dark hair and behind him emerged Eddie looking fairly ill. He was standing, stable, he did not seem to show any signs of this episode Anne talked about.

The doctor spotted her and gave her a polite nod. "Are you here for Eddie? Anne said she called someone."

Eddie looked up from the floor, seeing Yvonne standing just ahead of them. "Yup, here to give him a ride home. Yvonne." She accepted the doctor's hand.

"Daniel." He gestured to Eddie, "We gave him an MRI as best we could, he did have a bad reaction to the machine so it took some work but I'll check the scan as soon as I have a moment. I recommend he go home, get some rest, and we'll call you. Just keep him down and watch that fever - if you see it reaching too high, bring him right back in and call us, I'll take care of him."

Yvonne gave him an appreciative smile, "Thanks, I'll watch him." She raised a hand up to Eddie's shoulder, ushering him along with her. "Have a good night, Doctor."

"Take care." He waved them goodbye before returning to his work.

Leading Eddie out of the hospital was easy, he seemed completely fine just following her every command. She told him to turn and he did it. He was ill and needed help, she wondered if he knew how bad it seemed. He had come down with a powerful fever, had an episode in a restaurant that lead him to eating live lobsters from their display tank, and wound up getting an MRI because they were so worried.

She picked out the key from her pocket, taking him straight to the bike parked under the front porte cochère of the hospital. She neared the bike, swinging a leg over it, she started the engine. Holding up the helmet for Eddie, he glanced between her and the helmet before taking it gingerly. Something was wrong with the man and she wanted to ask, but he looked like he might need a minute.

As he put the helmet on, she leaned back on the bike, watching him with keen interest. Loosing the helmet, he was also looking at her closely. She was in his clothes, on his bike, with his helmet, and her stomach bare. While he was mostly looking at someone else wearing his clothes and how painfully aware he was only now about how few good clothes he had, his gaze did fall to the perhaps more questionable areas lacking that clothing.

Though the leather jacket hid most of her frame, the rather tight muscles on her abdomen were as clear as day. It wasn't risque, she was not wearing it in an inappropriate way; it was simply the combination of the bare stomach and low riding belt that made the somehow three sizes too large clothing appear a bit more provocative than she intended.

She chose to make the clothes look a bit more suiting to a female body and the baggy clothes just made her look homeless. Which she is, but that was beside the point.

He got on the bike behind her, uncomfortably close to her. He did what he could to be polite, holding onto her around her waist, trying to keep skin to skin contact to a minimum. Once he was on the bike, his body pressed against her back, she kicked off for the most awkward ride either one of them had ever been on. It was silent, neither of them spoke.

During the ride Yvonne took it easy, going slow in case Eddie had difficulty holding on. Which she assumed was the case when his grip on her waist seemed to get tighter and tighter. It did not bother her at first, but as they rode the sheer force he applied was enough to leave bruises. She did not mind much, though she did wiggle in the seat a bit the worse it got.

It did not feel like he was doing this intentionally, it felt like he was uneasy and needed that extra grip. So she made every turn a little smoother than the last, keeping to the slow lanes and trying to make it easier on him. That grip was still there, still digging into her waist. She her lip and worked through it, it was not so bad compared to what she was sure Eddie was feeling.

His illness was bad and she was the only person here to watch over him. Pulling back into E 15 she was all to happy to end the ride. Turning the bike off, she took a deep breath. "We're back, Eddie." She put a hand over one of his giving it a pat. "Let's get you inside." Tugging at the hand, he was slow to remove it, but the moment he did he seemed to break his head out of whatever was keeping him.

"Uh, yeah." Leaving the bike behind, she stayed by his side as they climbed the stairs to his apartment. She watched him closely in case he needed help yet he continued seemingly uninhibited. He almost jogged up the stairs totally fine, like he had not just walked out of a hospital with a powerful fever.

The second he opened the apartment door he went to the fridge, letting her close the door behind them. Double checking it was locked, she approached Eddie as he scoured the fridge.

"You hungry?" She started, trying to urge him to communicate.

He turned to her, nodded fervently. "Uh, yeah. Just gonna heat something up. You want something? I mean I got... uh..." He looked into the fridge mostly filled with condiments, drinks, and snack foods. The freezer almost entirely empty. "I don't really have much to eat." His nervous and shaking grin was enough to tell her he needed to take a break.

Yvonne walked up to him, "Eddie, you're sick. You need to sit down and rest. If there's anything to eat I'll make it for you." She urged him towards the couch, pushing him along ignoring his resistance. He did not resist when she pushed him onto the couch, getting him off his feet to take a breather. He needed time to wind down, to handle that fever.

Leaning over him, she got close to his face and put her hand on his forehead, trying to feel for that fever and came back with almost nothing. He was a bit warmer than he should be, but he wasn't burning up. Daniel had seemed convinced that the fever had a chance to rise or that it was already bad. She tried with her other hand and still felt mostly normal. Realizing she had a lot of physical contact with the man today felt a little strange. They knew each other without really knowing each other.

Pressing her ear to his chest she listened for abnormal beats or anything to tell her what was going on with him. "Whoa, hey-" He felt a bit strange being so manhandled. "Hey now, I know I'm hard to resist but maybe ask a guy before you feel him up?"

Yvonne raised her head up, raising a brow. The prolonged eye contact, she looked over his features before becoming acutely aware of her hand on his leg and other hand on his shoulder. He was an attractive man and she did like him, but this was neither the time nor the place for encouraging these trysts. She shook her head, "I'm trying to keep track of your health, make sure you're not dying."

She pushed off him, crossing her arms. "I feel like I might maybe, just maybe, know if I was dying, but hey, maybe not. If I feel like I'm dying I swear, I'll let you know. Promise." Eddie cracked a grin. "But oh, hey, if you're not letting me up, can I get some food? I'm still super hungry."

"Sure, Eddie. First, tell me, how do you feel?" She searched his face for signs of that fever, he had looked so ill before and now it seemed to be fading with every passing minute.

He grinned, "Well, I could be worse. I could be Drake right about now." She rolled her eyes. "To be honest I'm kinda' liking this- this whole look you've got going on. You seem to be making my clothes your own and hey, I don't know a lot about clothes, but it's working out for you. Good work." He commented as if he was critiquing fashion, as if she had intentionally wore these clothes that did not fit her.

"Thanks, I call it single-man-that-doesn't-shower chic. I think it gets the message across pretty clear." She dropped her arms, brushing her hair for embellishment.

Eddie nodded, very interested in that midriff with low belt line. "Yeah, so do I."

She kicked his shin with the heavy boot she was borrowing from him. He flinched, putting his hands up. "Hey ow, come on. You're gonna beat up a sick guy? I could be dying here and you're kickin' me!" He laughed, yielding.

"I'm going to make food, just sit down and watch some TV. If you bitch I'll let you starve." She left him on the couch, heading back to the kitchen. Dirty dishes in the sink, a few mugs left on the counter, and a distinctly limited food source. She tapped her fingers while she searched for anything to cook while Eddie peered over his shoulder, turning the TV on more for background noise than anything.

Being dragged into busting Carlton Drake was not quite so bad, she had started to like the apartment she was shacked up in. The company wasn't bad either.

* * *

 _ **ZabuzasGirl:**_

 _:))))  
Another double long update, mostly covering some background scenes. I hope you liked it!_

 _ **Antex-The Legendary Zoroark:**_

 _Thank you very much! Tom Hardy does an incredible job in Venom. His word usage is really hard to nail down so I just kind of work with what I can. I really want to keep him as realistic as I can, so I spend more time on any of Eddie's sentences/mannerisms._

 _I'm glad you like it, I was actually going to call her Ruelle at first after a friend of mine's middle name. It didn't really fit with the character or the setting, then Yvonne came around and I thought it was just perfect :D  
We see a bit more about that weird underbelly she's hiding in this chapter, but we're not all there yet. ;)_

 ** _Vertigo Venom:_**

 _Aww thank you, I'm happy to have such lovely readers. You're too kind, I am so happy to hear it's living up to expectations!  
I'm so happy to be closer and closer to Yvonne's full reveal. Eddie/Venom is going to have a conflicting time about things, I'm excited to show more.  
As for the device there it more to it as well, but it is not a tracker thankfully. Unfortunately, things still won't go their way :x_

 _Drake is still VERY interested in Yvonne's shapeshifting and we'll see what that means... ;)_

 ** _SunnySides:_**

 _I'm glad you asked! I actually intended to help explain the shapeshifting process Yvonne does in this chapter. We see a good portion of it and there's more to the device than just a little thing to keep Yvonne in the lab. But I won't tell~ :)_

 _And you are correct, during the movie the lobster scene came first but the hospital scene came first. I'm actually lucky enough to have a copy of the film so I can watch it while I work and connect details together as I go, it's been a great help!  
_

 _Venom's interactions with Yvonne will certainly be interesting. Maybe some odds and ends here or there, but the Eddie/Venom duo will develop over time. I'm looking forward to those scenes so much!  
I do use a third person view point to see more of the interactions and details of the story, it will help a lot when we're handling Eddie and Venom with Yvonne. So no need to worry about missing any Venom fun ;)_

 ** _Arkytior's Song:_**

 _Hey, glad you like the story! I loved the movie so much, always been a big fan of the Venom: Lethal Protector series and I'm so happy to see a movie made of it. I hope you liked this chapter!_

 ** _ArtasticSarcastic01:_**

 _Ohhhhh goodness, thank you! I did want to make the apartment feel lived in. Poor Eddie isn't very good on his own haha, he needs someone to clean up behind him. I really feel like seeing the scene is up to the reader, but I have to give you something to see in the first place. I hope during more complicated scenes in the future I'll be able to keep up. Action scenes are really fast paced and it's hard to fit in so much detail into short sentences to give readers the feel of that pacing.  
_

 _And thanks, I have been taking some time to have some fun in between chapters. Sims 4 playing Yvonne York is actually a good distraction while keeping me focused on thinking of new parts to the story. :)  
I wanted to include more with Anne, but it might have to wait until later when time isn't so short for everyone. Though the awkward tension between Anne and Yvonne here was... thick. Yvonne was really stuck on what to do haha  
_

 _I hope you enjoyed, I'm super happy to keep more coming!_


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